i'm the queen of the insomniacs. i can tell you what the "experts" say, but nothing works for everyone. the first thing they all say is to keep a regular schedule, even on the weekends. i know this seems impossible with your work schedule, but when i was working nights, i just kept that schedule as much as i could all the time. i didn't like it, but it was best for me. second, find some way for you to unwind before you even think of getting in the bed. except, whatever you do, don't make it any kind of vigorous exercise. gentle exercise, like stretching, or a leisurely walk, may be good. because of your work schedule, you may need to take some melatonin before you sleep. research has shown that those who do not sleep during regular night hours may not be producing enough melatonin. as i understand it, a lack of melatonin sometimes means that even if you do sleep, your sleep is not as restful as it coud be. i use a supplement called "night rest" which contains melatonin and some other natural sleep aides. i have found it very helpful, since i am up most of the night and sleep during the day. another thing the experts suggest is that you reserve your bed for sleeping only. that means, don't eat, drink, read, or watch tv in bed. (i'll have to admit i don't follow this advice, but i know some who do and they swear by it). do you listen to relaxing music? loud, pounding, harsh music can be very disturbing to your sleep (even if you put it off before you sleep). it gets your heart pumping and your brain shooting off chemicals. not good. another good thing to do is to do progressive muscle relaxation after you get in bed. i will tell you about this if you don't know what it is, but i won't assume that you don't. if you'd like an explanation, just let me know. avoid alcohol and caffeine and nicotine before bed. ok, those are my suggestions, and i probably can come up with more, but that's a start. this is an area where i've done extensive research, having had sleep problems since infancy.

i don't know you or your history, so i'll ask these questions and you can answer if you'd like. did anything bad ever happen to you when you were in bed? do you have a history of nightmares? do you ever wake up feeling like you can't breathe?