That's very true about sleep. I suffer from occasional bouts of insomnia, especially in the last couple of nights. That means I crave sugar during the day.

Glad to hear about the St. John's Wort. My sickly son has huge insomnia issues, even going sleepless for 48 hours and then sleeping 36 sometimes. And you cannot rouse him. I will see if he will try that. He's an adult, so I let him decide.

I am going back on my diet as of today. I am still down 2 pounds and don't want to lose more ground. If I am going to reach my goal of "thin by summer" I have to stay with it. I'm glad for this forum as it does help.

Yes, mine tends to come in batches, and I'll get perhaps a few hours in two or three nights in a row. It's really not good. It's not as frequent as it used to be when I was a teenager thankfully.

I do find exercise helps, perhaps some yoga.

Also cut out the caffeine (including things like Coke). That can be easier said than done, as I often find I need it to keep me going during the day when I'm having bad nights, a vicious circle

Reading before going to bed (a book, not a screen, or watching the TV) helps me as well. Anything to relax before going to bed. Avoid anything that gets your brain going too much, especially any kind of problem solving. I'm terrible for that, I start thinking about something and then I can't switch off.

I occasionally use something called Nytol, which works pretty well. It's not a sleeping pill as such, but it does make it easier to get to sleep. Take it 30-45 minutes before you go to bed. Used too much it's probably bad for you, and actually stops working so well. I only use it every few months when I know other things are not going to work.

I had vicious insomnia, too, for about 15 years. I still would, but finally went for a sleep aid from the doctor. He gave me Trazadone, and it is like heaven for me! The only side effect I've ever had on it is that if I stay up after taking it, I can get dizzy. But I wake up naturally in the morning with no grogover. It is also fairly friendly to the body, more than some drugs. My son cannot use it, however.

It's not good, and can be tough to explain to people who just drop off the moment their head hits the pillow.

I'd not heard of Trazodone, but wikipedia to the rescue

Nytol is a form of antihistamine, so much milder. It won't knock you out, but it makes me sleepy enough to stop my brain running away with itself. Your son may find it helps a little.

Sounds good. He is on a lot of meds for bipolar and other illnesses. I always want to check with the doc, who he can see for free once a month, so it will be mid January. I know that med is probably over the counter, but with his cocktail I am very careful.

Yes, definitely something to have checked. My sister used to take a lot of meds for similar reasons, and it was a nightmare working out what she could or couldn't take.

I don't know how things work where you are (are you in the US?), but it is also worth checking with the pharmacist. Often then know as much, if not more, than the doctors about what's safe to take with what, as that what they train to do.

I have to say that after two days of taking a multi-vitamin and the St John's Wort, I do seem to be more with it today. I will have to see how it goes over the next few weeks.

Sounds good, Paul. I will check with the pharmacist since that is available immediately. Yes, I am in the US.

I'm glad your cocktail is working. Is your appetite improving; that is, normalizing with the multi?