You just need a massage and a blow job and you'll sleep fine.

Also, have you eliminated caffeine from your diet? What about exercise? On days when I've gone running, I'm out like a light.

Probably not much good for hard-core insomniacs, but:

Re: antihistamines, not just any--the newer ones are "non-drowsy." You want to use diphenhydramine (Benadryl). But don't buy brand-name Benadryl, for chrissakes; go to Costco and get Kirkland Signature diphenhydramine, 600 25-mg tabs for ~$6. The solid-pink tabs you can cut in half with a pill cutter if desired. If this works for you, it'll save a bunch of money, get approximately normal sleep, no dependency, and not have the risk of temporary psychosis that many of the newer Rx pills can cause.

Re: alcohol, I believe it's generally considered disruptive to sleep in higher amounts, but a glass of red wine might be helpful. Can exacerbate acid reflux though.

Also, if you've never tried Breathe Right strips, give them a whirl (also much cheaper at Costco). Amazing what being able to breathe easily through your nose can do for quality sleep. Wash your face with soap and water before applying; the adhesive is pretty tenacious but oily skin does weaken it.

I'm just the opposite. I sleep like the dead. I've slept through earthquakes, tornados, and thunderstorms. So I'm probably no help.

I did read a research study last year about caffeine and sleep. It stays in your system for hours. If you are having sleep issues, you should cut off caffeine by 2:00pm. Any caffeine later than that can seriously effect your sleep.

I sleep a lot better since I started taking a melatonin tablet before bed.

Ditto @5: 5 mg of melatonin 45 minutes or so before going to sleep and I'm out. My problem is that I don't STAY out for reasons which people in their 50's would surely appreciate, but which for the sake of decorum, I won't get into here.

your condition is called Sleep Maintenance Insomnia.

i sleep better since i bought a $12K hot tub.

@6: Decorum? On Slog?!

I used to have major sleep issues until I was prescribed (about six years ago) something called Nortriptyline. It truly changed my life. If you need to get up to use the facilities etc., you'll be able to go right back to sleep. This med is the best for sleeping and waking up without being groggy. You do need a prescription but well worth the visit to the doc's office.

Several of my friends with poor sleeping have been diagnosed with sleep apnea (much to their surprise) and now use a CPAP. I don't know what the acronym stands for, but it's a rig that blows air into your nostrils all night, and restful sleep happens. Everyone says it has changed their life.
I myself use temazepam occasionally, especially when traveling, but would never touch those things that make you sleep-drive.

I had to take the death-by-thousand-cuts approach: proper sleep hygiene. I googled it at my doctor's orders when she refused to write me a script for sleeping pills. "Nope, you have a chronic disorder. Best get that in order, and drugs won't do it."

A few things I learned about myself: it can't be over 68 degrees in the bedroom, and I likely have a melatonin deficiency due to a metabolic disorder I have.

Also, Brissey, you're a type one diabetic, right? Not sure, but I think there's a relationship between some kinds of insulin and insomnia. Worth a check, anyway.

Also, I spent about two hours a day riding a bicycle, five or six days a week, year round. It wears my shit out and really helps. Done it for twenty-plus years, and I really notice when something gets in the way of it (illness, birth, taxes), because I can't sleep to save my life.

Gibberish ( I'm not kidding)

Designate your bed as a rest zone, meaning do ONLY restful activities in bed. No t.v. or internet. Restful activities can be: reading, j-Ing off, sex, massage,etc.Things that relax you

If you wake up and can't get back to sleep, leave the room for 5 mins, do a non-restful activity (watch t.v./ go online,etc.) AWAY from your bed, then go back to bed and try again.
Repeat up to 5 times.

This really works.

This helped my hubby a ton. I have always been able to sleep easily and thru anything. This technique is one many psychotherapists recommend

You've heard of Segmented Sleep? It looks like we really aren't programmed for 8 hours of continuous sleep, and some of us just never can adjust to that schedule
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16964…

If your bedroom is noisy, and you being citified I'd guess it is, get a white/pink noise generator, or find a fan that drowns everything else out. Tryptophan works, although it probably shouldn't be used long-term (years ago a bad batch killed a few folks and it was only returned to the market recently, but the deaths were from other ingredients, not the amino acid itself). Strong valerian tea will work, but definitely for short term (it's where valium was originally synthesized), and you'll wake up groggy. If not having caffeine doesn't work, then try a cup of caffeinated tea near bedtime. It works for me, but I'm wired weird. Also, if you're diabetic, careful with all of the supplements and esp. antihistamine. And if nothing else, think of Telly Savales. Count him like sheep.

Sounds like your insomnia problems are genetic, I also suffer from the same insomnia as my father.

Been taking the anti-depressent Doxepin for a number of years (you wake up in a slightly better mood, too.)

Recently upped the dosage to 150 mg a nite, about an hour and a half before bedtime.

and am bolstering it with a puff or two from a vaporizer ecigarette thingy (whatever you kids these days are calling it) packed with some prime indica oil.

When I wake up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I do another puff.

Between the two I sleep just fine: friend who turned me on to inhaler (?) uses just that alone for his insomnia.

(Or whatever those pen inhaler things are called: I haven't smoked weed in decades but a friend with a medical marijuana group hooked me up.)

Booze, masturbation, and CPAP in that order. :)

I sleep pretty well these days but I used to have trouble. I think a lot of the improvement was just growing out of adolescent issues, but some was practical stuff.

1. Temperature. I can't drop off easily if I'm not properly comfortably warm (the other end of the scale isn't much of a problem here). I used to think I was warm enough, but I've learned that if I feel like I need to stay still to stick to the warmest bit of the bed, that's not warm enough. Thick covers and bed clothes hold heat but don't generate it, which sometimes isn't enough. Hot water bottles are lovely.

2. If I feel sleepy but fidgety I get up and pee. The tension can keep me awake even if it's not enough to feel like I need to go.

3. Caffeine. So obvious, but so much denial. I used to like a cup of tea when I came back from night work, which I thought was fine because I could get to sleep. I'd then wake up during the night and have trouble sleeping again. I was young and stupid, don't be so stupid if you're older. It doesn't matter if you can drink a triple coffee and fall asleep, if you're not getting a good, full night's sleep you need to try it without the caffeine.

"No caffeine after 2" isn't particularly useful advice, because people drink different amounts, metabolise it at different speeds, and go to bed at different times. Be aware that it does take a few hours to halve the amount of caffeine in your system, drinking twice as much will add a few hours more before you clear it, and it might take longer to metabolise than you think. According to WikiPedia, the average half-life of caffeine in the body is 5-6 hours. Smoking decreases it, hormonal contraception increases it, pregnancy makes it crazy, and I think a previous version said that women with natural cycles could get some fluctuation. I'd imagine transwomen could be affected too. Various drugs can also slow metabolism. I'm on the pill and can't drink more than one cup of tea/shot of coffee at once because I react weirdly. I've found that nine hours between that one tea and when I want to sleep is good. I make it 10 if it's important to sleep then.

4. Shiny lights. I can get away with being on the computer until bedtime, but I definitely get sleepier earlier without it. If getting to sleep is a problem, no tv or internet for an hour before bed, and/or install f.lux on your computer (or iDevice).

5. Spoken word. Good for brains that won't shut up. Audiobooks don't solve my housemate's sleep problems but they help, and my ex trained himself to fall asleep in a few minutes with talking. BBC radio is a good source of soothing podcasts and streaming programs, and you don't need to be in the UK.

6. Codeine, just because other people have mentioned their favourite drugs. Occasional obviously, but we get it OTC here and it's lovely. A couple of pills and a little booze guarantees good sleep and a good morning for me.

I read a bit and use a fan for white noise and usually drop off pretty easily but it sounds like you have the sort of physical issues that CPAP was designed to fix (i.e. the shape of the mouth and throat cause sleep apnea that wakes one up over and over through the night).

You did not mention feeling sleepy and tired throughout the day so I have to wonder if you are a person who normally needs less sleep. Each individual has different sleep needs and some folks who only need a few hours sleep beat themselves up unnecessarily for not getting the "right" amount of sleep.

For anyone suffering from poor sleep because of worries that keep the mind whirling (which you do not seem to be one of) it helps to write down ones worries before bed.

No caffeine after noon. That includes caffeinated sodas. And also, and this takes practice, meaning try for a week until you get good. Take deeper, slower breaths. It takes concentration. It will slow your heart and stop the busy mind.

Didjeridoo http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/200…