Hi Monty --

I am sorry you are having trouble sleeping. I do, too. For example, I only got about 4 hours sleep last night.

Here are some things I've used --

melatonin -- for a while, put me soundly to sleep at first, but then I'd wake up jittery

warm milk, or warm milk with honey -- I loved this! Didn't always put me to sleep but tasted great. Now I'm lactose intolerant.

l-trytophane -- I abused this natural substance and wound up in treatment . . . something illegal drugs and booze never did. However, it was because a large dose irritated my colitis and had me doubled over with pain, not bec. it put me to sleep. In fact, bec. of the pain, it was just the opposite.

chamomile -- my herb of choice.

Other hints are to always go to bed and wake up at the same time, use the bed only for sleep, not reading, watching TV, talking on the phone, etc., so the mind associates "bed" only with "sleep."

Exercise in the evening -- that used to work great for me but I haven't been exercising. If I ever start again, it is a great way to get myself tuckered out to sleep.

I also use a white noise machine. The sound of waves pulls down into a deep sleep - - I have even slept through an alarm for as long as 20 minutes with the waves going . . .

Hope you find aids that help you . .