My thoughts have kept me from getting to sleep ever since I was a kid.
It's hard to shut it all down and when I lay down, is usually when the second wind begins and my mind will race :)

I wise person once told me that keeping a pad of paper and pencil at the bedside works well to eliminate the loss. I'm never given a special thought when going to sleep, but rather mine come as I'm waking up to begin a new day. I personally believe we will be accountable for these special moments and if we don't take action we have fewer of them. ( My two cents only ! )

Well that is certainly a way to make the time productive. Knowing that it can take the mind up to two hours to calm down generally from being stimulated by the lights of the computer I tend to write on paper once I shut the computer down!

I used to have a note pad by the bed. When I had a solution to a problem I was working on I would jot it down. Generally I found that when writing in my almost sleep stage the writing was usually illegible!

My ideas enter my head also when I lie in bed for a while.It must be one of those things because I have heard others say the same.

Keep pen and paper handy near you when going to bed and as soon as that idea comes in jot it down. Or failing that if you phone is near by note is down or recording your thought on the phone for later use.
Take care
Andre

I know this feeling all to well, I wish I can come up with a notepad while I'm sleeping just to jot a few ideas down. Your best thoughts come when you are at ease or approaching sleep for that matter.