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I follow my bedtime routine:

1. Nutrition is the most important part - it is very important we do not eat anything with sugar and have a very light dinner. I only drink water, as even tea can have caffeine in it.
   
2. Make sure my room isn't too hot, too stuffy, or too bright. Bedrooms that are quiet, dark and cool are optimal for a good night’s rest. I rest better in cooler places.
   
3. Stick to the same things every night - Excercise, a bath, pajamas, brushing teeth and a few pages from a book. I make sure to stick to it consistently so that my body knows what to expect.
   
4. During the day I do exercise as much as possible - biking, running, playing etc. At least one hour before bedtime.
   
5. I use a weighted blanket every night and it helps me relax and go the sleep faster.
   
   I got my favorite weighted blanket from a seller in Amazon for only around $65. Super worth it and the quality is amazing! I also bought one for my daughter and we can now sleep 8hrs straight and wake up feeling well rested and energized.
   
   I really hope this helps and that it works for you too!

What do you think triggered her sleep problems? Does she have a history of dieting and/or overexercising? Or a period of a lot of stress?

• Some ideas:
  
  -> Make sure your mom gets enough light exposure during the day (ideally sunlight). Sitting inside all day is not good for your circadian rhythm. Try to get half an hour of sunlight exposure as soon as waking up. If that's not possible, buy a blue light lamp, like this one:
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Philips-Therapy-Rechargeable-HF3429-60/dp/B00M3SGD4Y
  
  -> Make sure your mother eats enough. I've seen lots of people, including myself, who got insomnia due to excessive dieting and overexercising. Eating enough in the morning and at lunch is key. Make sure every meal contains a good amount of protein, fruit and vegetables, to make sure your blood sugar levels remain stable.
  
  -> The right kind of exercise is important. Weightlifting is a great way to improve metabolic health without exhausting yourself. Improved metabolic health is a key factor in insomnia. The increased amount of mitochondria and improved insulin sensitivity make sure your cells are able to produce a lot of energy, thus reducing levels of stress hormones. Endurance type exercise is less ideal because it can wear you out.
  
  -> I'd also recommend taking some CBD oil for resetting your nervous system and calming you down. I don't know if it's legal where you live, but if it is, definitely try it. It's one of the best supplements there is for insomniacs.
  
  -> Finally, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a good way to improve sleep as well. There's a number of good books on CBT that you can find on Amazon. I recommend this one to start:
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Say-Good-Night-Insomnia-Drug-Free/dp/0805089586/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1524235804&sr=8-1&keywords=gregg+jacobs

I've tried a ton of stuff to fix my 'sleep maintenance insomnia'. I can only sleep 5 hours then still tired but wake up. I literally have almost no stress in my life right now (unusual I know) so don't think CBT will help. I've also used at least 5 sleep trackers: Zeo, Beddit, ResMed, FitBit and a couple more.

The fascinating thing about Trazadone is it great increases my deep sleep according to my ResMed tracker (the best and surprisingly cheapest sleep tracker). I'm still short on total sleep and experimenting again with melatonin - specifically REMFresh mentioned by my psychologist.

I've not had nightmares from Trazadone in the last several months, but I also almost never have nightmares so am not currently pre-disposed. I don't watch horror movies though.

Sorry about the anxiety and depression.

Also a friend just recommended this book which is great: https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Sleep-Unlocking-Dreams/dp/1501144316

I've read a dozen books and hundreds of other articles. Reading this is the first time I've learned new and clarifying information in a long time. It is extremely well researched + written by a world class sleep expert. It's also on Audible which is great if you have tired eyes like me.

Hope some of that's helpful. Though not all pointedly answering your question these are the most valuable things I've learned in the last year.

I'd recommend trying to cut out horror movies and continuing with the trazadone. My gf loves horror too. It distracts her from her anxiety and though I don't claim to be an expert it logically self perpetuates some of these issues. I have other behaviors I need to break which perpetuate mine as well.

• No more caffeine, ever. No coffee, tea, soda, energy drinks, chocolate.
  
• No other stimulants.
  
• No alcohol. It interferes with your sleep cycle. It may make you drowsy at first but it will make you more wakeful later.
  
• No screen time in the hours before bed. All that blue light keeps you awake.
  
• Nothing mentally stimulating before bed. Find a way to ramp down.
  
• Have a bedtime ritual.
  
• Sometimes a warm bath before bed helps. You get your body temp up and then it cools down which helps you sleep.
  
• Get up at the same time every day.
  
• Schedule worry time. Write it down. Put it aside. Don't worry when you're in bed.
  
• Exercise! The harder the better. But not in the hours before bed. Late afternoon is usually better for sleep.
  
• Don't eat before bed, your digestion can keep you awake.
  
• Sleep hygiene: Dark room, quiet room, only use bed for sleep and sex. I make my bed every day so I have a smooth bed to sleep in. White noise or soft ambient music helps some people. Youtube is full of stuff. So is Pandora. A sleep mask and earplugs can help.
  
• Get up at the same time every day. Even weekends. No sleeping in even if you go to bed late.
  
• Go to bed early enough that you don't need an alarm to wake you.
  
• Learn to meditate or do guided relaxation. Youtube is full of videos.
  
• There are OTC sleep meds. Some are combined with a pain killer. Sometimes ibuprofen by itself will help you sleep, but you develop a tolerance within a few days.
  
• Supplements that might help: l-theanine, ashwagandha. Also hops, valerian.
  
• Get lots of sunlight and bright light first thing in the morning to help regulate your circadian cycle.
  
• If you can't sleep get up and read or do something quiet until you're sleepy. Avoid screens because of that blue light.
  
• Install f.lux on your PC. https://justgetflux.com/
  
• I've had luck with self hypnosis tapes. Again youtube is full of them. I found one in the library that helped me enormously.
  
• If you want to put on weight and sleep better have some carbs before bed. A baked or boiled potato works great. http://www.amazon.com/Potatoes-Not-Prozac-Solutions-Sensitivity/dp/141655615X

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BGPEZ68/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I ordered these. They seem to have a good amount of Melatonin in them compared to some of the others plus other soothing herbs and things. A couple people in the reviews said this worked for them when just plain Melatonin did not, so I've got pretty high hopes for this.

I was taking these: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diphenhydramine
They definitely helped get me to sleep, but never change the amount of sleep I actually get, which is really the bigger problem now. When I take these, I still wake up, but now with a dry mouth :( I also feel what you mean about needing to take more and more as time goes on. I only took them one night in the past week or so, while I was taking them every night before that.

As far as the wikihow link, I do the majority of those things already. I do drink caffeine, but I stop by maybe 1 pm at the very latest, and that may be stretching it. I don't like milk or tea much, so those wouldn't be a good choice. I do watch tv as I go to bed, but that's both for myself and my boyfriend, and getting to sleep isn't the issue anymore, so I think that's okay? It shuts itself off after a bit, so I know that's not what's waking me up. It would have been off at least a half hour before I tend to wake. The book thing may also be kind of out of the question because I don't wanna disturb him with the light, unless I get a little clip on one.

The sleep lab thing is getting to look more and more interesting to me. It would be comforting to know this isn't a symptom of something bigger and it would be nice to know why this is happening and get help from professionals. If the Melatonin doesn't work or stops working after awhile, I will definitely do this.

I haven't seen a psychologist for about a year and a half or so. It was a really weird time for me. The first one said I was both schizophrenic and bipolar, the second said I have anxiety and put me on meds. I took them for awhile but stopped. I haven't taken them since March and I feel 95% better. All three of the diagnoses seem a bit extreme to me, I'm pretty sure it was just a temporary thing.

Thanks for the links, I appreciate all of your help!

I’ve tried the valerian capsules and tea but I didn’t find them to be as effective as the actual extract/tincture. Plus the capsules smell terrible! At least with the tincture you can throw it back. This is also a good blend of valerian and passionflower... found on [amazon](Herb Pharm Relaxing Sleep Herbal Formula with Valerian Extract - 4 Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00169ZZQI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_pQAOBbQ6CWT83). If you fancy tea, I really like the Yogi brand tea (kava).

Look into the app “Headspace” it’s wonderful. Or look up some guided meditations for sleep or relaxation on YouTube.

I’ll definitely look into it! Thanks!

I'm going to direct you to something that helped me. I don't get any referral money from this.

https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Forgiveness-Meditation-Effective-Loving-Kindness-ebook/dp/B00XV183KO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1536591701&sr=8-4&keywords=vimalaramsi

You can find free instructions here.

https://www.dhammasukha.org/forgiveness-meditation.html

I've met Bhante and, while he's kind of a nut, he's also the real deal (and a good guy.) Lots of people have trouble cultivating positive emotions to do lovingkindness meditation, which is why he developed the forgiveness meditation.

Finally, on this page you can find instructions for lovingkindness:

https://www.dhammasukha.org/beginner---lovingkindness.html

I want to emphasized that this is the most powerful meditation I've ever tried. Every time I do it the feeling of love, happiness, and calm becomes stronger.

If you haven't already, invest a negligible amount of money into the book Say Good Night To Insomnia by Gregg D. Jacobs. Read it slowly, do what it says.

I think your system is just waaaay too used to all these pills. Extensive use like that will definitely mess up your homeostasis. You might have started down this path because of some other problem, but it has created an entirely new problem. This book will help you slowly move away from sleeping pills and find your native ability to sleep back.

Good luck to you my friend, and remember, whatever you set your mind to, you can accomplish.

I also wake up by the slightest noise. The only thing that works for me is earplugs. But not just any earplugs. The ones workers in factories etc. use.

I'll try to find a picture or link for you, hold on.

Edit: i dont know if exactly these are available outside of germany but they are called bilsom laser lite.

http://www.amazon.de/gp/aw/d/B0007XJOLG/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1420567335&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX200_QL40

They look like this. They are stronger than normal ear plugs because they are supposed to be used when working with heavy and loud machinery.

I hope you find something like that and it helps you.

Perfect, so do you see how the anxiety from your first night caused insomnia in the ensuing ones?

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The Trazedone should work, but if it doesn't you need to get a script for something stronger. Your Dr should agree to it, as long as you promise non-drug behavioral modification.

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https://www.amazon.com/Restful-Insomnia-Benefits-Sleep-Even/dp/1573244678

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Get this book and read the first few chapters, she explains it better than I ever could.

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Given that you do Sleep an extra half hour on the weekends and that you wake up an hour and a half later, I'd say that's your issue. What's probably happening is that because you're getting more sleep on the weekends, your sleep drive is modestly diminished the first couple days of the week, hence you're not sleeping as deeply and more likely to wake up in the middle of the night. The different wake up times likely isn't helping either, as Sleep is surprising sensitive to routine and consistency.

Also, since it sounds like this has been going on for a little while, you've probably developed some Sleep anxiety. It's not that you have a phobia or some kind of major anxiety, just that early-week Sleep has now become a thing you think about and worry about, both of which are arousing and therefore harmful to the quality of your sleep.

If you haven't already, try and experiment for two weeks and see if things improve: Simply keep your workweek schedule for the weekends as well.

If you want to increase your odds of better sleep early in the week even more, stay up an extra half hour or hour later than you normally would on Sunday evening (while it sounds paradoxical, mildly Sleep depriving yourself will increase your sleep drive and therefore the quality of your sleep, which is a worthwhile tradeoff even if it's at the expense of some loss of quantity.

This book is really good for legitimate tips on improving your sleep.

Hope that helps

Melatonin gummies- for some reason these ones work better than others for me: https://www.amazon.com/Natrol-Melatonin-10Mg-Gummy-Count/dp/B079TD7HG2/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=Natrol+Melatonin+10mg+Gummy%2C+90+Count&qid=1570805200&s=hpc&sr=1-4

My weighted blanket has been a life saver- she'll love it! I also love lavender oil, and Aveda makes a 'stress fix' oil that I use as a lotion on my hands and arms before bed that I really like.

This happened to my friend when she moved away 3 months ago. She's a high anxiety sort of person (bipolar/BPD) and the stress of being a in a new place and trying to find work and poor sleep hygiene and being surrounded by unfamiliar things made it impossible for her to sleep at night for the first two months. I think having some difficulty sleeping makes sense in a new location so my best advice is to be kind to yourself. Maybe look around your room and try to make it more like your old room, is there more light in this room? Do you sleep on the opposite side of the room? Are there more noises? Take time to understand that this is a new place and you're still adjusting to a big change.

Additionally, some advice that helped me: Don't look at the clock at night, don't let yourself be aware that it's 5 am and you have to wake up in 3 hours because then you will definitely not sleep. Don't lie in bed for hours trying to sleep, if you can't sleep after being in bed for ~20 minutes then get up and do something boring or meditative in dim lighting: reading a nonfiction book, sudoku, yoga, meditation, listening to classical music, etc. You don't want to build an association between the bed and anxiety. If you think light may be keeping you up you can try buying blue light blocking glasses like [these](https://www.amazon.com/Uvex-S0360X-Ultra-spec-SCT-Orange-Anti-Fog/dp/B003OBZ64M/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?gclid=CjwKCAjw04vpBRB3EiwA0IieapP5F3V4wdWb1vd4QE5vBLFOqDE1g0wf7vWxyYKm-2twyoF-yYRUBhoCjYMQAvD_BwE&hvadid=177805272916&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1015033&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=5210474184459830146&hvtargid=kwd-1672726337&hydadcr=1387_9901969&keywords=uvex+skyper&qid=1562587290&s=gateway&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1) Listening to a guided meditation while in bed often helps me to relax [here's one I like](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69o0P7s8GHE&t=1822s). CBD for anxiety if you're really having a hard time calming down, I have a vape but the oil also works.

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Keep exercising, keep avoiding screens (or buy glasses if this is too difficult), but I have a note on melatonin: less is more. Lower doses (<3mg) timed 3 hours before desired sleep times are more effective at entraining sleep schedules. Exogenous melatonin (the stuff you bought from the store) is meant to act as a signal to your brain to naturally produce melatonin, if there's too much then your brain thinks it's covered and will slack off. Basically, if you take a little bit 3 hours before sleep then your brain will think "okay time to get sleepy" but if you take enough to have a sedative effect then your brain will think "welp looks like my job is done."

edit: fixed the links

edit2: or maybe not? are the words links or are the links just there doing nothing? I can see the links

Yes I use them. Yes I love them and think they helped me advance my bedtime, but I did a bunch of other things too. I got these: https://www.amazon.com/Uvex-Blocking-Computer-SCT-Orange-S1933X/dp/B000USRG90 I picked them because they are safety glasses and have to actually do what they claim to.

I do not believe I am magnesium deficient. Were your levels actually tested?

That's possible, but people all too quickly assume they have some kind of genetic dysfunction, or something else inherently wrong with them.

I myself have epilepsy, and I used to blame my insomnia on that. But once you learn more about metabolic rate, and how it affects about every part of your cell, and how you can properly increase it (it isn't set in stone) you quickly figure out that most health problems can be traced back to it.

This is what these lifestyle changes are to help with.

When I say you should work standing up, this is to increase your metabolic flux, the input and output of energy (in the form of calories) which in turn increases metabolic rate, making all your cells work better and strengthening circadian rhythm.

Your argument of gays, there is good evidence that homosexuality is caused by problems with wrong hormonal signals being given to the foetus, so the brain develops differently. This is the epigenetic approach, but again, this only shows how powerful hormones are, if they can determine what kind of people you are hardwired to be attracted to.

The lifestyle changes I give have little to do with CBT, by the way. They serve to induce certain biological, hormonal and physiological respones.

You should definitely read Mark Starr's book on thyroid and metabolism. It shows that even things like autism are caused by metabolic dysfunction. https://www.amazon.com/Hypothyroidism-Type-Epidemic-Mark-Starr/dp/0975262408

I use these everyday, because roommates make a lot of noise in the morning much earlier than I wake up. they hurt my ears the first few times I used them and every once in a while but they seem ok now. I did cut them a little bit near the end because sometimes tossing and turning would pull them out of my ears.

https://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-Visibility-Disposable-Earplugs-200-Pairs/dp/B0007XJOLG

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I also purchased this mask to try and sleep a bit more without the sun waking me and I like it so far. just be sure you are wearing it correctly or you will get light by your nose.

https://www.amazon.com/Contoured-Sleeping-Blindfold-Concave-Meditation/dp/B07W3L3DJB/

I have trouble functioning if I dont sleep enough so I totally undrestand. hope this helps!

I'm sure not everyone has seen all of these tips. and while they likely won't solve chronic insomnia, they may help in small ways! And it's not like this guide is doing anyone anything bad!

And yes, fixing insomnia is not an easy thing.

You make a good point that unconditioning your brain is a very important aspect in treating insomnia. The author covers that aspect in this book pretty deeply http://www.amazon.com/Say-Good-Night-Insomnia-Drug-Free/dp/0805089586/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1463595683&sr=8-2&keywords=insomnia

Thank you for posting this! I was just getting ready to post the same thing and ding here you are! I'm on day five of CBT-i after receiving my results from a sleep study and learning that while I don't have Apnea, I do have a highly f-ed up sleep architecture. So...here I am, doing CBT-i and FEELING LIKE HELL It's expected, I know, but I'm so tired, I can barely figure out what day it is. In fact, I'm really only typing this in a desperate effort to stay awake until my specified bedtime. I'm literally counting the minutes until I can go to sleep.

I now have a VERY strict bedtime and wake time, and am restricting to 7 1/2 hours of time to sleep. It's scary how bad you feel while you're going through this, but it just goes to show how f-ed up our sleep architecture is. Anyway, last night I had my best night of sleep in a long time.

You should check out Gregg Jacobs book. He takes you step-by-step through the process.

I'd be totally happy to be your CBT-i buddy through this process. It might help us to have someone to gripe to until our sleep architecture readjusts.

I had been using these, but I recently got a pair of these from a free offer and have been using them lately.

OP, melatonin recommended dose is 0.3 mg, it is possible you are taking too much. Try a lower dose ( https://www.amazon.com/Sundown-Naturals-Melatonin-300-Tablets/dp/B000GG2I9O/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1Q4PAGEA2OU8R&keywords=melatonin+0.3+mg&qid=1566836962&s=gateway&sprefix=melatonin+0.3%2Caps%2C137&sr=8-4 )

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I take 0.3 mg melatonin and 200mg L-Theanine. I am sleeping way better now. Like you, would sleep about 4 hours and wake up in the middle of the night.

Have you tried noise canceling headphones or something? I just bought these last week. My boyfriend snores. They help a bit. Have you talked to your roommate about it at all?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PV7YMSL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

OTC supplement found in health stores. IMO the better version of melatonin. https://www.amazon.com/Source-Naturals-L-Tryptophan-Essential-Supplement/dp/B000GFSVS2?th=1

https://www.amazon.ca/Say-Good-Night-Insomnia-Drug-Free/dp/0805089586

This book has a good run down of cbt techniques

Seriously, you need some CBT for insomnia. It's very simple and will probably solve your issue or at least make it like 80% better. (BTW - Alcohol makes insomnia worse and can permanently destroy your sleep architecture!)

This book walks the reader step by step through the process! $10 + 6 weeks and you will probably feel a lot better. (It really, really helped me!)

Yes. I have both tried out light therapy in the morning and blue light blocking glasses in the evening. Both seem to have had quite an effect on me.
Maybe you try out the glasses first. You can get them for just a few dollars online. (e.g. [those] (http://www.amazon.com/Uvex-S1933X-Eyewear-SCT-Orange-Anti-Fog/dp/B000USRG90) )

Depends on your sensitivity. Some people can live in a moldy environment with no apparent problem (though I've read it increases cancer risk); some get very sick; others: somewhere inbetween.

The insidious problem is the mycotoxins mold gives off. My understanding is that dead mold continues to be toxic.

Since you can't sleep, how about listening to some podcasts?

• Heal From Mold is good for mold. Ep. 3 discusses mold assessment and remediation.
  
• Not Just Paleo Podcast covers a broad range of health topics. Functional medicine in general is good for tackling mild / chronic health problems.
  
  Another possibility that just came to mind is activities; do you do anything different at home? Do you use LED lights in the evening? Or use screens more? Might be worth buying some blue blocking glasses.