Those suffering from insomnia understand the concept of feeling absolutely tortured from within: your mind won't let you drift off into blissful oblivion. Even when there's no pain involved, no snorers, rock-band neighbors or other noisemakers within earshot, keeping you awake, your eyes can close but sleep just won't happen. You feel a kinship with zombies, vampires and others more dead than alive.
You can try warm milk, wine, or even sleeping pills but none of these do any good. In fact, taking any over-the-counter or even prescription drugs can be hazardous to your health and even addictive. Add to this the tendency of many insomniacs to perpetuate a cycle of sleeping pills followed by caffeine, "wake-up" pills, or energy drinks to counteract their effect the next day. This behavior is not only unsafe, especially for those who drive or do any work needing alertness and skill, but it plays havoc with your normal sleep pattern. It also can cause problems with your adrenal glands, which will be provoked into giving you a blast of adrenalin frequently to rouse you out of your chemically-induced sleep. It's better to avoid this whole scenario to begin with.
Of course, there is another aspect to the whole issue, perhaps unique to the multicultural makeup of Los Angeles. Many people here are more used to sleeping by day and being up and around all night. Not just shift workers, but the party-hardy crowd, like to get their biorhythms all messed up in this fashion. In addition to this subculture there are those, who by their traditions, are more accustomed to sleeping during the hottest part of the day and arising again when the sun has set and it's cooler for work or other activities. Unfortunately for all of these folks, the body isn't geared for such changes. The result, when the pattern is forced to change due to the common work and school schedules taking place during daylight, is a mess for the body to deal with.
The underlying causes of insomnia should always be discovered and dealt with first. With stress being a universal factor for most people these days (joblessness, debt, family problems, to name but a few), handling it during waking hours can be a primary solution to examine. Counseling is available in most communities for those undergoing severe personal problems. When sleep is still elusive, and otherwise, basic physical health is not a cause (such as pain or illness of any number of types, and menopause), look at non-pharmaceutical means to relax. Acupuncture, for instance, is useful in treating sleeplessness; in fact, many people find themselves drifting off while undergoing such treatment for other conditions. Massage therapy patients, as well, relax and are able to sleep well after a session. Many people choose to listen to music which soothes them into complete relaxation--think of how many babies have been sung to sleep by their mothers' lullabies! (Along similar lines, a voice in a soft monotone can have the same effect, as many students will agree, having fallen asleep during class lectures.)
For those who want to try herbal remedies for sleeplessness, there are many teas, including some available in most grocery stores, that will do the job. If Kitty doesn't mind sharing, brew some catnip tea--it will not make you roll around on the floor like your cat, nor will you start chasing mice--but it will get your eyes closing soon. Chamomile is another herbal tea used for many years before going to bed, especially for children. It also soothes the digestive system, which frequently is a source of nocturnal disturbance. Valerian root is popular as a natural sedative; it can be found in health stores as a tea or in capsule form. Rose petals, so long as they have not been treated with any garden chemicals such as fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, etc., can also be used either in tea or sachets under pillows. Their very fragrance is relaxing and sleep-inducing. Some people prefer to use them in a warm bath (warning: be careful not to fall asleep while in water) for this purpose.
Eventually, sleep will come if you're patient and don't get further burned out worrying about it. The body is only designed to stay awake for so long before sleep will naturally take over. The idea is to help that occur without adding to your already-overburdened stress load by use of chemicals. What needs to happen naturally should be brought on naturally.
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