I've killed the caffeine entirely, and honestly I think that might have been part of the start of the issues. I had bad caffeine withdrawal for about a week while I puzzled over what could possibly be wrong with me. And during that time, got my sleep schedule all wonky.

I'm doing most of that stuff, except the electronics which I will start tonight. But I think the getting up regularly part will be a bigger thing. I think I'm going to do that, at about 4:30 when I haven't slept yet, and then I fall asleep finally, and am asleep through about 10:30-11:30 on afternoon work days. So I think I just have to get up as if it was a morning work day every day, and just be exhausted those couple of days and hopefully get turned back around.

I seriously don't need any more nights of reading Dance Moms recaps on tvgasm.

I think I might try the change the context version, because I just get angrier and angrier lying there. I think I might be fighting two separate problems: one, the general anxiety that gets my head rolling - this is the kind of insomnia that gets me up at 2 in the morning to make hotel reservations...for a trip in November. And two, actual sleep issues, which I think I can solve with some of the methods you guys are talking about.

Both my sleep people thought showers were good near bedtime, because of the effect on your temperature, FWIW. Or even during a wakeup, if you're suffering from those.

Finally got the right meds cocktail. Yeah, almost twelve hours later. Maybe I can sleep? Which reminds me, Liese, both people said no napping.

Podcasts are better for me to fall asleep to than music, but I feel guilty for missing info. But I should put that back in my toolbox.

For a while I would read in bed for about 15 minutes, occasionally sniffing a lavender pillow. Hoping that my body would associate lavender with sleepy time. I stopped doing it - mostly because insomnia is not a problem for me since I started working.

Finally got the right meds cocktail.

I am horrified it takes so long and is such a crapshoot but I hope that the right meds finally breaks through your pain, ita !.

Podcasts or documentaries (often ones I know well, so I am not afraid I am going to miss info) are really a big help for me getting to sleep. It gives the squirrel-like part of my brain something to focus on instead of anxiety and chattering at me.

iTunes U has millions (maybe, I haven't counted) of lectures and series that are great. Stanford and National Geographic are both usually quite interesting to me. I tried to do course series but then the whole missing info was an issue. So one-offs or short series are best for me.

Last night was anxiety insomnia night, which is the double whammy of can't go to sleep and waking up early.

I've never managed to stop reading in bed. I've read in bed since I was reading by the night light when I was 7. Also, there's a street light, so my room is not very dark. I have Ambien, which works sometimes, but not always.

Sometimes medication can help just to get you back on a regular sleep schedule.

I deal with insomnia and it's normal for me to take 30 minutes - 1 hour to fall asleep at night, but usually I can stay asleep. However, I just can't sleep and the stress gets to me and my dreams start stressing me out. Now I have an Ambien prescription. I don't take it every night, just when I get in a bad sleep pattern I take it for a few nights and then try a night without it, and usually that just does the trick.

This is a new trick for me, I had tried Ambien in the past, taking it every night, but I developed a resistance so I thought I just couldn't take it at all. My new doctor suggested just taking it for a few days when things were bad and that helps.

Liese,

I have changed context, but always done so to a low light situation (like the comfy couch) and laid down on it with a book to read. Usually after reading for an ~hour, I'm out like a light!

I have stopped the Temazepam at night and am now relying on exhaustion and podcasts most nights, but a few nights a week I'll take Nyquil or Benadryl.

Which reminds me, Liese, both people said no napping.

Hmph. I like napping. That might be my problem right there.