HELP! I CAN’T SLEEP!!

For the last few nights I have absolutely no luck with sleep.  I fall asleep around 9:30pm because of pure exhaustion and then around 11:30pm my eyes pop open and it’s just me and my thoughts as I lay on my couch.  For the record – that is never a good idea!

Somewhere around 3am I hear my husband’s alarm go off – he goes to work between 3:30-4am – and I head back to my bed and finally doze off around 4am and my alarm goes off at 5:30am.

For about 3 days this has been my sleep cycle…if you want to call it a “sleep cycle” and needless to say I am exhausted!

I know that everyone goes through insomnia from time to time – and I curious to know how you battle it.  While searching the internet I found a couple of “tips” to fight insomnia.

1. Medication – of course I can take a prescription sleep aid or even an over the counter sleep aid – but then I have a hard time waking up in the morning and I’m kind of in a haze all day.  So I would rather NOT do medication to sleep.
2. Warm Shower Before Bed – I find that taking a shower actually wakes me up and therefore I save that for the mornings.
3. Sleep Hypnosis Tapes – I’ve actually had success with this.  Awhile back I suffered from the inability to fall asleep so off of a friend’s advice I downloaded some free apps on my phone and listened to the sleep hypnosis.  It worked!  I never heard the end of the sleep hypnosis tape.  I’ve tried it now – but it doesn’t seem to be working and just frustrates me even more.
4. Natural Sleep Aids – the melatonin, the L-tryptophan, herbal teas, etc.  I’m sure they all work great – but I’m not having problems falling asleep – I’m having troubles staying asleep and then when I wake up I can’t get back to sleep – and I sure don’t feel like boiling some water and making tea.
5. Listen to music – this is what I am currently doing (clearly without any luck).  I think the problem with this avenue – at least for me – is that while listening to music I begin to either make up dances to the song in my head or I begin to ponder the “true meaning” behind the lyrics of the song.  Both keep me up.

So – those are the only things I can come up with to help me get over this insomnia attack.  I would be ever so grateful if you would comment below and offer tips and tricks that help you fall asleep and stay asleep!