For years I have had trouble falling and staying asleep or wakening and unable to fall back asleep. I have a particularly stressful job and I would change my circumstance if I could afford to do so, but that's not happening anytime soon. I am a coffee drinker and though I have quit and resumed many times, I never found that avoiding caffeine helped my issue. I also have mild depression and these days have had success in minimizing it. I take OTC antihistamine to help me fall asleep, and that works 80% of the time, but there are times where nothing seems to help. I have tried everything from prescriptions to melatonin supplements. Even recently I had a pulled muscle where the hydro-codeine painkiller could not even help me fall asleep. When I awake in the night I have mentioned jokingly to coworkers that the "committee" called a meeting to discuss all things worrisome.

I have had issues with sleeping for years. The more I couldn't sleep the more stressed I became the worse it became. I just refused prescription medication (on enough already for a thyroid condition) so tried all the usual tips i.e. don't drink coffee within 5 hours, make sure your bed is for sleeping not responding to e-mails etc (guilty!) Anyway not sure how much that did or didn't help. In the end I bought a light therapy device from Australia and it made a big difference to my situation.

I have never had difficulty sleeping. I was recently hospitalized with bacterial pneumonia. I didn't sleep well in the hospital because they kept waking me. Upon returning home, I can't sleep, not even a nap. I feel tired. The doctor finally prescribed 5 mg of Ambien but it's not working.

For the last few years I have suffered insomnia on and off. I am also bipolar which I know can affect it. But lately I am finding when I am really tired but unable to sleep (3am) I feel like I have insects crawling all over my body. When I went to a doctor about this the first thing he asked is what "party" drugs do I take. I have never taken drugs in my life. But this feeling of being covered in bugs from no sleep is creeping me out. During the day I am fine, I can function properly at my job but as soon as night hits, no matter how tired I am, nothing I do can make me sleep. People think that insomnia is just lack of sleep. In the last few years I have learnt that it is so much more. It screws with your head, moods and in my case my job. All I want is a goodnights sleep!

I am 65 years old, farmer by profession, always been an early riser, not ridiculously early, but not a late sleeper. Now all of a sudden, I don't have too much trouble falling asleep, in fact feel tired all the time. Can only sleep for 4 hours a night maximum and then awake like it's time to get up but it is 2am!!! I try to stay awake until 10pm every night. Have tried staying awake till 12 midnight and then awake at 4am. Just feel tired all the time, driving especially dangerous at certain times. Have been taking tranquilizers, and then sleep for 12 hours, that feels so cool the next day, because I feel rested and don't yawn all day like now, but stay off the pills, I am not a pill man, run about a kilo every second day, do certain exercises to keep firm, don't smoke, but just feel I need more sleep!!

I developed a chronic insomnia in my late 20s, at the time it was caused by lots of stress at work. It mostly manifested in waking up in the middle of the night and then falling asleep half an hour before my alarm went off. Quite often I would not get a good sleep for six days in a row, which was very hard. The treatment that did work was regular workout. Three times a week, either swimming, running, or martial arts. The moment I stop my workouts, all insomnia problems hit back at me. In this discussion thread, I noticed that nobody mentions exercise as a treatment. Is it because it does not work for other people or they forgot to try?

I have dealt with insomnia off and on for the last ten years. There are times when I will get less than four hours in as many days. It was especially difficult in my late 20s, and it seems to be slowing a bit now in my 30s. My husband and I agree that whenever I get tired, I SLEEP. Even if it's one in the afternoon. The idea of forcing myself to get up is ludicrous, as it doesn't help at all in going to sleep the next night. I will say that the pattern I recognized awhile back is that it seems to be the most prevalent right before my menstrual cycle. For years I told various nurses/doctors of this, and they all say "oh, that has nothing to do with it." This is the first place I've ever seen anything hormonal listed as a cause, even if it is menopause...at least now I know I'm probably not crazy, and there may be a link after all. Best wishes to all on a good night's rest.