[ellipse]

I've been having really bad insomnia for about a year. Not only can I not sleep, my sleep is disturbed, either by nothing in particular or having started screaming about something or other in my sleep. I'm probably too young for medication remedies, and I'd like to avoid any chance of either getting addicted or constantly forgetting pills. Are there any natural remedies for insomnia out there? (By the way, I already know about lavender, but it doesn't help me much; not strong enough.)

do you exercise enough? are you watching t.v. late and playing on the computer????????? xoxoxo

calcium supplements work for me.. you get the kind with the right mix... of vit d,,, and such...

that is why the old wives tale of warm milk..

[ellipse]

I don't watch much television at all. My parents don't let me use the computer after ten o'clock. My exercise is kind of sporadic, but I'm always busy during the days. My sleep is kind of weird; when I'm feeling particularly bad, I can't sleep, and same with when I'm particularly high (not drug high, just happy high). When I'm feeling normal, I'll eventually pass out, but it takes a while.

[Gemstone]

valerian root will sometimes help. It smells and tastes like dirty feet, but it will work for some people (myself included). I find the liquid extract works the best, but it is also the most unpleasant. Oh, and if you have a cat, cats love this stuff more than cat nip. They go crazy for it. http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/V...Topic-Overview

Kava also works well for me. http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/Kava-Topic-Overview

Melatonin helped regulate my sleep when I was working night shifts, but it wont actually make you sleepy. http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders...tonin-Overview

hmmmm what else. chamomile tea helps a little, a nice bath, soothing music.....

[ellipse]

That sounds like it might work, except for the smell of dirty feet.

[Perna]

I just use children's Benadryl strips http://www.pfizerch.com/product.aspx?id=1978 and muck around with them cutting them in larger or smaller pieces to get the "effect" I want as far as how sleepy/how "hard" I want to sleep. But I only use them occasionally so I won't get habituated to them. Were I you, I'd first try to make a soothing routine to even out what you're doing and when you go to bed, etc. I read a good novel for an hour or so in bed and that tires me out, gives me something pleasant/neutral/interesting to think about as I'm falling asleep (to concentrate on) and making sure, if I wake in the middle of the night I don't do too much getting up/working on things so I wake myself up too much, I work a bit harder at getting back to sleep, thinking of what I'm going to do "tomorrow"/in 3-4 hours and convincing myself "it's not time yet" :-) to get up.

progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) might help you out. it is a kind of self-hypnotic thing to help put your body in a relaxed state so that you are able to get to sleep. you might be able to find out about the exercises if you google it.

basically... only medication will knock you out. otherwise it can be about combining a lot of different things with subtle effects that cumulate. e.g., have a warm bath and some chamomile tea... do some PMR...