Did your son move away and maybe the worry is causing your insomnia? Or maybe the worry of him graduating in this economy? Or maybe a habit or worrying? Anxiety?

I have periodic insomnia that is triggered by major events - family distance, family visits, health issues. I've been working on it for more years than I'll admit. What has helped me is if I go through issues in my mind before I go to sleep and remind myself that there is nothing to do tonight. If I wake up too early (like 2am), I remind myself that there is nothing that can't wait until 7 and I try to snuggle in bed until I can fall asleep again. If I can't fall asleep, I watch TV quietly and drink a glass of chocolate milk sometimes with a PB&J sandwich for about a half hour then try again. Exercising vigorously for about 1/2 hour a day has really helped too.

You have to really work to get back in the habit of sleeping! Good luck Fehrenbach!

Thanks Cameliasf, I am a worrier, and have been trying to get a grip on it but that's been hard to do. I'll have to keep on trying and then my sleep pattern will get better.

For me, melatonin often works. It's an OTC enzyme available in vitamin sections of most stores. Be sure you ask your doctor first, just to make sure it's safe for you.

I started suffering from insomnia, which, yes can be triggered by stressful life events. I too found help with Melatonin. It's in the vitamin section, although it is something our body naturally produces. The natural production of Melatonin is what is supposed to be triggered in our bodies when the sun starts setting and the evening gets dark. You can also help the production by sitting in a dimly lit room 1 hour prior to bed time. BUT, sometimes the brain just won't shut down - and a little extra boost is helpful. I've found that 1 to 3 mg 30 minutes prior to bed has me sleeping soundly all night...and no waking up groggy like other sleeping aids, since this is natural. Here's to you getting some sleepy zzzz's soon!!

Lots of great "tried and true" advice is out there from good sources, including this site. There are different ways to address insomnia, and in my experience, you have to find what works for you...what resonates. For some, it's relaxation. Some it's diet. Others exercise, or thought organization.

In my work in the sleep field, I educate patients in a clinical sleep disorders center, so I frequently research new developments in therapy. My background is in biopsychology, and I tend to look for behavioral strategies for sleep improvement. One interesting research procedure I came across was Intensive Sleep Retraining (ISR). Here is the 2012 replication study: http://www.journalsleep.org/ViewAbstract.aspx?pid=28395

Sounded very promising if only a home version could be developed, so I have embarked on a product development journey to do just that. My project is called SleepQ. You can read all about it at www.sleeponQ.com. We are just launching the website so it is not finished, but by the end of the month it should be mostly done.

Hope you find/found your sleep solution Ferenbach!

Harp