What to do with sleepless nights.

So as it comes around with everything else. Insomnia. What do others get up to? I've tried exercise, chores, reducing stimulation from TV etc. and still I'm just not getting off. The last week has been such a switch. It's like I just can't stay still. Does anybody have bouts like this? It just seems that when you have cracked it in regards to keeping on an even keel then bam! I wish I actually knew why this situation is so repetative in my life. I thought it was shift work. I was weeks away from dismissal as I couldn't work nights. I identified it as a culprit to make worse whatever it is. So, I work my self really hard to attain a job which is normal hours and was so certain that the sey routine would solve the problems. And it did for six weeks. I felt like I was finally away from self destruction. I felt like I was able to do my work real easy and enjoyed it so much I would work late and didn't mind. I think that I thought the problems were completely caused by my prior job. Everything felt good. I could connect with my creative side, was writing songs. I also got a mortgage and am now in the process of buying a house. Spending to much was the only problem at this time, but nobodies perfect and I was really enjoying being alive.
It's all changed reallly quick, and I still can't sleep. I have not much I can think of that's bothering me so I don't understand this crash or whatever it may be called. I am frightened that I will make a mess of another job. I worked so hard to get it. Trying really hard to manage but it's hard knock to see things that scare me return. My voices are back, and whilst I can manage them generally I'm trying to keep going but people keep asking if im ok and don't really want to tell anyone what's going on. So scared of repetition. I wish it wasn't so all or nothing.

Sleep deprivation makes everything worse. The rule of thumb for insomniacs is that they are not tired, or wake up and are unable to go to sleep, get up and watch T.V. or read until you are tired. Going to be when your head is full of things can be irritating.

Exercise before bed in the evening is not a good thing. It raises you respiration rate, hyps you up and makes it even harder to get to sleep.

i've never been able to sleep for more than an hour at a time. Then I started zen, which is a mixture of breathing techniques and changing from drowsy to upping your energy. Now I can't fall asleep without it.

If you have any intrest, the e-mail is wilddivine.com It sounds corny, but it really works. So does yoga. Both are based on breathing techniques. Its gotten me through some pretty bad nights.
Sam2

Not getting enough rest will run down your health. Even if you just lie quietly, eyes closed, it is resting. I have had this problem, and this kind of trained my body to rest.

Apparently looking at screens is bad for going to sleep because it releases some form of chemical in your body. So I would recommend against watching tv or doing anything electronic.

I have problems sleeping also.....since the trauma I went through.....had bad nightmares after that & even though it's 9 years later, I'm still struggling with my sleep.....I seem to need to be completely exhausted before I'm able to sleep & sometimes it takes several days to get to that point which is HORRIBLE.....I sometimes try to sleep....pain specialist even gave me a prescription for sleep.....but I don't like the feeling especially living alone it makes me feel so grogy that if anything did happen, I wouldn't be able to function & it was a very mild sleep aid compared to the high dose of seroquel my pdoc had me on after the trauma.....sometimes when I'm really exhausted & I wake up, I can just go back to sleep like a normal person.....it's getting to bed in the first place that's the hardest.

At times when I have so many things I have to do, I used to make it a demand that I would get something finished before I would allow myself to go to bed...only problem...I have so many things that HAVE to be done that I wouldn't be able to go to bed for a year if I held to that belief.....so I have to force myself to just go to bed....take a narutal sleep enhancer & try hard to shut off my brain & my body because it could go all night

I listen to relaxation tapes or sound scapes; such as waves, rain etc.

Greetings, newbie here, my issues with sleepless nights have been an issue of mine for at least the last 10 years........I have found comfort in listening to Books on my iPod. I keep it close and when I wake in the night or can't fall asleep, I'll listen to a "story" and oftentimes find I fall asleep. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does.