I have 2 methods I use to fall asleep. 1. Focus only on breathing (using a "mindful meditation" method which is to visualize inhaling air, circulating and calmly exhaling again and again) This is actually hard to do and requires practice, but once you can control it, it works every time. My 2nd method is to listen to my "sleep" music playlist of 6-7 songs on my phone's Spotify app. The music is relaxing, and hearing the same old songs lulls me into happy sleep.

For what its worth, the host of a podcast I listen to has done some research into improving sleep. You can read about it at GRC's | Healthy Sleep Formula. I've not tried it myself as I don't have this issue. The fellow is a real technical guy, but is NOT a doctor.

I take a shot of tequila (or two) before beddy bye... But then, I dream of Native American war dancing, drumming, all night long.

Try the Indica strain of medical marajuana, you will sleep like a baby and wake up with memories of happy dreams.

I was taking TylenolPM occasionally to catch up on sleep, then my daughter pointed out that the sleep aid part is just benadryl. So I will take one of those for two or three nights in a row if I'd had trouble sleeping, it seems to help me get back to sleep when I do wake up, and breaks the "wake up at 4" habit for a few days. But I don't use it all the time, and I have always naturally woken up at 5:30 or 6. Falling asleep on the couch before I get to bed might have something to do with it!

Reading a good book puts me right back to sleep.

The supplement L-thianine (sp) as well as CBD oil/tincture (use before bedtime).

I remember a report on the news linking benadryl, tylenol PM and a few other drugs commonly used for sleep to dementia.

Popular drugs for colds, allergies, sleep linked to dementia - CBS News

To the OP - A suggestion would be to do a sleep study...to rule out sleep apnea.

While sleep apnea symptoms are not necessarily not being able to fall asleep initially, it can result in falling asleep for a very short period...then not being able to get back to sleep.

And then of course, is the fact that women suffer more from insomnia...than us guys.

I attribute part of that, totally unscientific of course (:D), to guys being able to compartmentalize 'our simplistic few thoughts at one time' (:1rotfl:)...and not run a continuous loop movie reel of everything going on in our lives.

Here's a good article...on suggested remedies.

Why Women Are Twice As Likely To Have Insomnia Than Men


Good luck in finding help. :thumbup:

I read that too. I think that the alternative products may hold risk not yet found. I wear earphones and watch TV...something like House Hunters or The Best Food I Ever Ate....but then THAT makes me hungry.

My husband is a saint and is used to be watching television on mute.

No matter what one episode of All In The Family or Golden Girls and I'm out. My wife struggled for a while after we moved here. Limiting the coffee after 5 PM and 10 jigawatts of Melatonin did the trick. The Melatonin takes a little while to work but ultimately it does. She now sleeps like a baby. ZZZZzzzzzzzz.