A 3 week course of Melatonin cured my sleep issues - that was 3 years ago and I still have very few problems.

I used to have huge problems with sleep. It got to the point nothing would knock me out - sleeping pills were my PRN during the day for anxiety as they no longer worked to put me to sleep at night. HUGE doses of antipsychotics, also failed.

I do not have ANY caffeine at all. It can affect my sleep pattern, even if I have it at 11am. I need daily exercise and activity, if I sit around doing nothing all day with only 30 mins of exercise I do not sleep well, I need to do more. I cant be overstimulated near bedtime, so no exciting tv shows, or entertaining chats. I try to stay away from sugar at night too but that doesnt always work.

Sleepytime tea works great, not every time but a lot of the time. The first time I drank it I couldnt believe that it would knock me out - but it did! Worth a try.

Some nights it does take me hours to get to sleep, but I am in bed by 11pm and out of bed by 8am regardless. I do not get up during the night if I cant sleep - unless it is 3am, then I try warm milk or a warm shower. Resting in bed for those hours, even if you dont sleep, is almost as beneficial as sleeping. It is essential that I stay in this routine. One late night or morning sleep in can mess me up for days.

I hope you can find something that works for you, it really sucks when you cant sleep - believe me - I KNOW! I am so appreciative that I can sleep pretty well now, it makes life a whole lot easier and it definitely has an effect on my mood state and energy. I believe that a good sleep routine is absolutely essential in managing Bipolar.