I've struggled with insomnia for a very long time, and although I'm prescribed sleep meds, I rarely have to take them anymore. I found that mine was stress-related, so I have been doing things to reduce my stress (working out, eating better, meditating, and all the other cliche stuff). Also, I've found that I LOVE drinking chamomile tea before bedtime. It relaxes me and usually helps me sleep. Can you take something like Ibuprofen or Tylenol PM? That works wonders as well.....

I've had to quit sleeping meds because of side effects and only resort to over the counter stuff now. I also have a strict sleep hygiene. Go to bed the same time every night and get up the same time. No caffeinated drinks/ food, no sugar / soda after 6 pm, have a daily exercise routine (even if I only get 10 mins in), sleep in a dark, quiet, well ventilated, good temperature room, keep pets and other disturbances out of the bedroom at bed time, no tv in the bedroom, no looking at tv / computer / phone screens before bed (keeps your brain active), keep the bed restricted for sleep and sex only (though I tend to read before bed, too), do something relaxing before bed. For me, that's picking up a book and reading a story. Before I know it, I'm nodding off. Without the book, I tend to lay awake for hours, exhausted but not sleeping.

This strict sleep hygiene gets on my husband's nerves, because he doesn't understand what it's like to suffer from insomnia (he sleeps whenever he feels like it -how we insomniacs envy that), but the routine does help me.

I also have a strict sleep hygiene routine. I have heard of sleep restriction but have not had to resort to it as of yet

I have tried the sleep restriction model and have gotten down to 5 hours and 15 minutes allotment but my average for the past 6 weeks has been 4 hours per night. I know I should go down to 4 hours allotment for the night but that amps the pressure to fall asleep the moment the head hits the pillow and I'm afraid I will only sleep 2 hours then. Would be curious to find out if anyone has successfully gone down to 4 hours allotment.

I did CBT-i using self-help methods. It included sleep restriction. This did prove useful. However, it has been a couple of years. I somewhat remember a 5 hour minimum. Of course, do what the professional therapist says. If using self-help methods, you might want to check your book/video/online or other information to see if there is a minimum recommended number of hours for sleep restriction.

I can only speak for myself, but I would imagine a vicious cycle like that is a strong indicator that it's stress related. I'd try to get your doctor to prescribe anti-anxiety medication and see if you find a dosage that works. If you don't, then I don't know what to do. I'm still trying to find a dosage on my end, so all I can say is that you should find a sleep specialist in that case.

Yes, I have, to answer your question. My experience is that sleep restriction works best when it's used as part of a comprehensive CBT-based approach. Doing so enables you to address both behavioral and cognitive (including emotional) issues that may be disrupting your sleep.

Often, sleep restriction isn't enough, though helpful in revving up your homeostatic sleep drive. It's important to address the underlying negative thought patterns as well.

You are right about the vicious cycle. My suggestion would be to first see your doc to either treat or eliminate the possibility of a medical or psychiatric issue such as a stress or anxiety disorder. These are medically treatable.

But in the absence of a medical disorder, you can look at nonmedical issues that need to be addressed for sleep improvement. These typically involve sleep habits (including sleep hygiene and sleep restriction) and excessive worry about sleep (the kind that you are expressing). These are all treatable through a comprehensive CBT-based sleep training program.

Like curiousmountain, I also did this self-help, and the methods do work for most people. This will help you determine your optimal sleep schedule as well as put a stop to the negative and aggravating thought patterns that are keeping you up.

Good luck.