A Ceremony: Invitation to Hypnos For this ceremony, dinner must be consumed and tidied up by nightfall. Advance preparations: iced tea made from chamomile and lemon teabags (caffeine-free of course). Clean sheets on the bed are also a good idea. Turn off all lights except for the lowest-wattage lamp in each essential room (including bathroom). Have a glass of the iced tea; sip slowly. Turn down bed, fluff pillows. If you have essential oil of lavender or balsam fir, put one drop in the lower right corner of your pillow. Place glass of water near bed. The god of sleep will like these smells, and if he's thirsty he won't have to rouse you for a sip of water. If weather allows, walk outside: make a circuit, counter-clockwise, around your house. Walk at whatever pace you choose but keep your eyes focused on the middle distance. You are unwinding your day, smoothing out its kinks and bumps. If you cannot get outside, position yourself in a central location inside your house, sit down, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing for ten minutes or so. Come back inside and turn off all the lights except bathroom and bedroom. Do your evening ablutions (brush, floss, wash face, etc.), and add something extra: a nice treatment for your skin, a simple trimming or filing of fingernails/toenails, braiding your hair, misting your shoulders with some calming toner. Do whatever stretches or prayers you are accustomed to or think you should do in order to tend to your body and soul. Get into bed. If you have a sleep-aid CD (I like this one: http://www.healthjourneys.com/Product_Detail.aspx?on=1&id=13&mcid=4&catid= ), listen to it. If not, just close your eyes for a while. When you are relaxed, turn off the last light. Sleep well!

The yoga relaxation exercises are good ones. I've used them and had them work, but sometimes if the mind is too hyper you can have trouble even concetrating on that. My best solution is milk plus a carb. The combination works really well. I know you're watching weight so here's what I usualy do. I have yogurt with cereal in it. It serves the lactose and carb mix without being too heavy or sweet or fattening. Granola is great with the yogurt, but I've used cornflakes often. I generally don't have sugared cereals in the house, so have even used Cheerios. Smiles. I hope you find something that works. The valerian might. Cammomile tea? Btw, ambian didn't work for me at all. Neither does tylenol pm except making me tired the next day. But a nice bowl of cereal works. Might be different strokes, but can't hurt and an easy option to try.

My problem is that I'm the world's lightest sleeper and have always been this way. I do not go into a sound deep sleep until 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning. When I was a baby I stayed awake all night and slept most the day. Of course it is all much worse with pre-menopausal symptoms. Since I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia I have read this is a common side effect (lack of deep sleep). When the stingy Insurance Company will allow I take Lunesta. I have to say my life is so greatly improved when I take that sleep aid I cannot begin to tell you. The best part is how much better my concentration and memory is with proper rest. The rest of the time (living without lunesta) I'm pretty much walking around in a mentally disabled daze. I have tried other sleep aids and do not like the ones that feel like drugs, hate Ambien and it's addictive but I do like lunesta because it feels more natural and I have no side effects. Plus, I wake up in the morning ready to go just like a regular person. My insurance company would approve addictive Ambien in a heartbeat but not Lunesta without making the doctor's office spend days on the paperwork...go figure!

Glad to see you back