Falling Asleep Staying Asleep

What helps you guys sleep and stay asleep? I consider my bipolar more of sleeping disorder than a mood disorder. Anyways,

As about the last 3-4 weeks I've been taking 2.5mg of saphris, which seems to be the only thing to put me to sleep. We are trying to get off it next week. Anyways, my new pdoc perscribed me 10mg ambien. This doesn't seem to be doing much, if anything. It made me feel good, the first two nights and I think it was partly because I was fighting the sleep. So I went to bed last night about 10 minutes after taking it. Fell asleep shorlty. However, wake up about 3 hr later. Followed by another 2 hrs, and another. I just can't seem to get a good deep nights sleep. The last time I did I think was when I smoked some pot. I should mention I also have ativan, which doesnt do much and makes me tired the next day.

I believe a big part of the problem is I don't have a real job right now, so my days are mostlty stagnant, though I do exercise everyday and try to keep my mind stimulated.
For the falling asleep part, I am trying to turn off all electronics and read a boring book before sleep which my T suggested.

Melatonin did not work. Tylonal pms don't work. I can't take benadryl. Sleeping hypnosis videos dont work. Meditation doesnt seem to do much. A hollistic doctor suggested KaVKava. Has anybody heard of this?


thanks

Don't really know much, however, KavaKava has been linked to liver problems.
It is said that the problem comes from the manufacturers trying to make more money,
and using the leaves instead of the root.
I know an individual that brings it in from Samoa for this reason.

For sleep, I use xanax. Plus trazodone, but I don't think the traz is effective.

I use zyprexa, hydroxyzine, trazadone and lorazepam for sleep. Soon it will just be trazadone and hydroxyzine. Maybe you can look into those...

I am currently not on anything but I do have a hard time falling asleep and staying alseep. My husband gets up at 3:45 am for work and if. Wake up when he does there is no hope for me going back to sleep.

My doc did say motrin pm will help me sleep so I sometimes take that but that doesn't always work like tonight