I Can't Sleep!!!

We've all been there. There are some nights that no matter how tired we are, we just can't seem to fall asleep, or to stay asleep..... We can feel our minds begging us to just go to sleep already, our eyes are so heavy, our legs hurt, but we get so helpless! We know it's late, we know we have to be up early the next day, (or not for the lucky ones), but it seems that the more we think about it, the more we try to fall asleep, the more difficult it gets! Why is that???

Ok, we all know sleep is very important, It's when our brains can focus on regenerating cells, repairing tissue and cataloging information. It's almost like a "reset" that happens in our physical bodies so we can face the next day with energy and a feeling of "freshness". But sleeplessness is real and we can't ignore it thinking it's gonna go away on it's own. It may but it may not.

I am against sleeping pills because they cause dependency. We should really try to rely on ourselves to fix the problem.
Sometimes it's better to just get up and start your day. But don't give up too early, I'd say try staying in bed for at least two hours before giving up. If that fails, then get up. The same goes if you wake up in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep. The next day you are going to feel extremely tired, your eyes are gonna burn, you may get dark circles, but chances are the next night you will be able to sleep the whole night.
Taking a nice, relaxing bath two hours before going to bed also helps. Watching TV does help me, (even though I've heard against it) especially if it is a boring show. It makes our eyes heavy and tired. But turn it off before going to sleep because the glare from the screen will keep you awake.
Reading a boring book also helps. Make yourself read until you feel your eyes tired. Then turn the light off and go to sleep.
Try not to think about being awake, (I know it's very difficult!), instead visualize yourself being in a nice place, talking to interesting people, or you can use this time to meditate or to imagine something nice happening for you.
Try not to drink any more coffee or soda at least 4 hours before going to bed! Caffeine will keep you up! It also irritates your bladder, so you will have more trips to the bathroom...........

I know being unable to seep well is very frustrating, especially the next day, when we have to face the world and go on about our lives.... We see other people looking so well and refreshed, some saying they slept "like a rock" the night before, while you feel like a failure.......... "Why can't I be like that?" you think. But remember, you are not alone! There are millions of people facing the same problem. I am one of them. Don't despair and take one night at a time.......... Some nights will be tough, others will be better........... Of course you should see your doctor if you can't sleep at all for more than a couple of weeks. It could be a sign of depression or another kind of medical condition.