I'm a bonafide insomniac but these tips help me so here goes...

A warm turkey sandwich at bedtime works wonders. A cup of milk and honey is soothing too. Both contain tryptophan, which boosts serotonin levels and induces sleep.

Soothing instrumental music specifically to help you unwind and sleep well. Here are my favorites:

Sleep Soundly-Steven Halpern
Ocean Suite-Steven Halpern
Beethoven at Bedtime
The Most Relaxing Classical Music in the Universe

Lavender does work. A lukewarm bath with a few drops of lavender is heavenly. Sprinkle a few drops on your pillow and drift off to slumber.

Make sure your room is a sleep-friendly environment. I sleep well in cool rooms with soft music and comfy bedding. If my room is hot or stuffy, I cannot sleep. Don't have too much light, heat, or noise. Make sure your room is clean and pleasantly scented.

Use your bedroom to sleep. This creates a restful haven for you to shut out the world.

Natural herbs like camomile and valerian work wonders. Melatonin is not recommended in heavy doses, as it can worsen insomnia or cause nightmares.

Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and heavy meals.

Avoid conflicts with others which might affect your emotional/psychological state-thus inhibiting your ability to sleep well.

Do a crossword puzzle or some light reading before bedtime.

Try to get into the habit of waking up at the same time and going to sleep at the same time daily-your body will thank you. We all have a circadian rhythm that benefits from this.

Take a quick, cool shower and slip into something comfy. Lightweight, soft materials feel luxurious to sleep in.

Disclaimer: If you have a medical condition like sleep apnea that interferes with your ability to sleep, or if you have some underlying disorder, please see a healthcare provider ASAP.

I have to agree with Rayma. Furchildren are the best and most rewarding way to relax and wind down after a tough day with teenagers! We have a small zoo, all saved from shelters and of course spayed and neutered!

A great space pillow with memory foam is a wonderful foundation for the optimum sleep position (no more stiff necks) Add in a rerun of Sex in the City set on the sleep timer (the TV turns itself off after the episode). Add a great pair of snuggly soft socks with a ceiling fan above for moving air and light spray of lavendar linen spray on the sheets/pillow -- all great ingredients for restful sleep.

I make it a point not to eat anything heavy after 8pm. I also invested in a couple of good support pillows, 100% cotton sheets and 100% cotton pajamas. Lavendar or eucalyptus shower gels relax me to the max and most importantly, I turn in at a decent time so my body has a time to wind down and heal itself while I sleep.

A Genuine Tempur mattress... it's unbelievably comfortable. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Fannel Sheets

As the article stated, I have turned falling to sleep into an art. I have 3 to 4 pillows. One between my knees (I sleep on my side)at the pressure points. Another to hold onto and 1 or 2 more under my head. My pillows are mixed types of polyester or feather. I warm my bed first with an electric blanket so it is nice and cosy when I get in. If the bed is cold that tends to wake me up no matter how sleepy I am. When I get into position, I concentrate on relaxing my face and neck and back muscles. Like the above blog mentions, concentrate on your breathing when you can't keep your mind from racing. If I'm still having a problem falling asleep, I imagine how I feel when the alarm goes off in the morning...how sleepy I am and how great it would feel to just turn it off and crawl back into bed. I love to sleep and I love my warm bed! Unless I'm caffeined out sleep just comes.

I find that if I don't drink anything with caffeine in it about 4-6 hours before going to bed, I sleep better. Also, I make sure to exercise at least 3-4 hours before hitting the sheets. Both of these things tend to keep me up if done too soon before bed. Unless I want to be kept up!

reading with furkids snuggled in next to me is the best sleep remedy i've ever found. not only are they loving and gentle, it's a proven medical fact that petting your furchildren actually lowers your blood pressure, relieves stress and calms your nerves. my suggestion? visit your nearest animal shelter and find yourself a dog and/or a cat and let them share your bed and your life. it's the greatest feeling there is! don't forget to neuter and spay.

I'm still searching for away to sleep,but i have recently taking up writing, just my thoughts and the ramblings in my head and i'm find it helps some.

To fall asleep when you have alot on your mind, I find concentrating on your breath really works. Everytime you feel your thought wonder off again just bring it back to your breath! This is also very relaxing, like a mini meditation sesssion...

Sadly, I haven't found the trick to falling asleep easily ... but I've found one that helps me to sleep through the night. Avoid alcohol within 5 hours of bedtime! Some people think alcohol helps them sleep, but in reality, it makes for a very fitful experience. I guess if I plan to party, then I'll have to plan to sleep less that night.

I love the smell of lavender on my sheets as I drift off to sleep. After washing my sheets, I fill a small, cotton, draw-string bag with dried lavender buds and pitch the bag, along with the sheets, into the dryer. When the sheets are dry, the smell is heavenly. The bag of lavender buds can be used many times over, just be sure to tie the bag tightly.

We live near a train that comes through between 3 and 30 times a night, sometimes with the engineer thinking it's a cool thing to blow the whistle just in case we don't hear the rumbling.

So I use ear plugs. And when I'm in a hotel I use ear plugs because hotels usually have a few late night loudies who love to wake everyone else up on the hall.

Ear plugs have saved my life.

Good ones are available at Brookstone and even the drug store.

If you can't find some or if it's late, a good thing you can do is make your own by first casting a mold of your ear and then -- ha, I'm kidding --- just wad up some toilet paper!

One thing that I do is set my radio to play for about 30 minutes and then shut off on its own. This way I can fall asleep to music or sometimes a game (go Redwings) and then not have to worry about turning the radio off or having it wake me up later on.

And I eat crackers too, but not in bed. My girlfriend says she'll dump me if I eat crackers in bed.