Insomnia is an unpleasant experience to go through. As I've said before I had it several times in my life. The worst had spanned for over 2 months. It began with a few sleepless nights. I had though that it was some stress related problem and ignored it thinking it would go away, but as days turned into weeks I began to lose my mind (or at least I though so). I just wasn't able to sleep! The entire ordeal had driven me into a state of a nervous breakdown. I began doing things I had never done before including praying which I had never done since I was a kid. That is how desperate I was to stop this nightmare.

Those who had experienced insomnia for a long period of time, no doubt in my mind can relate to these feelings that I just described. It's a terrible thing to go through period. What's worse is that far too many people are experiencing it and though many doctors prescribe sleep aids (drugs which are basically tranquilizers in my opinion), the fact is this problem is PSYCOLOGICAL and not physical.

The best ways to beat this problem is doing one of these 4 things:

A- Exercise. If you come home from work and are feeling stressed, take a walk outside or jog for a little while. This could even be in the middle of the night if you can't get any sleep. Exercising helps you release all you're built up stress and transform it into physical activity. Thus after you've completed a workout you feel at ease. It doesn't even have to involve doing a rigorous workout. When doing so let your self go mentally meaning stop thinking about your problems. Avoid taking sleeping pills because they do nothing but act as a tranquilizer which doesn't solve your problem.

B-Talk! Speaking to someone about the problems you have mentally releases your stress and helps you relax. You can talk about anything just as long as you put the emotion into it WHICH IS WHAT COUNTS! I've purposely listened to people I knew had sleeping problems who then were surprised that they had slept like a baby! Don't underestimate the power of words, they can have great influence! Also LAUGH! Laughing raises your spirits and your mental health which influences everything else! These methods are very therapeutic and have a positive effect on your subconscious health.

C- Crying helps too believe it or not. Remember an event in your life which made you cry? And after you had cried you slept like a baby? I can almost guarantee that at everyone has had this happen at least ONCE in their life. This is no accident. When people cry they release their emotions and built up stress which why you sleep like a baby afterwards. Its like rain washing away the dirt leaving a cleansed land which is basically your mind and soul.

D- I mentioned how talking to someone helps greatly but if you don't have anyone to talk to and can't go outside, read a book or turn on the television. If you choose to turn on the television don't watch what's on. Simply lay down and keep the volume low (ex: look at the ceiling while you're listening to the television). This method allows your mental state to focus on one thing and ignore most other problems consuming your mind. Once you feel sleepy turn off the television and go to sleep.

E- If there are any products out there that help with sleep they are

1- Valerian Root

2- Drinking a cup of warm milk with a tablespoon of honey before bed. This I believe has a better effect. Whenever I would have problems sleeping, I would drink this and fall asleep without even knowing it, sleep a full 8 hours and wake up rejuvenated!

3- Pouring cool water (recommended to be around 65 degrees) into a bucket and standing in it. Make sure the water is around 3-4 inches deep. Stand or sit while your feet are in the water for around 5 minutes then dry your feet and go to sleep. I still have a very hard time understanding why and how this works but it does. I've tried doing this procedure on several occasions and it has worked out miraculously. (People may vary so be careful if you try this, I've personally never met anyone who has had problems from this method, but the reason I say be careful depends on the person. Ex: An elderly person stepping into cold water can quickly affect them (temperature change) and can potentially be dangerous so if you are unsure consult with a doctor!)

NOTE: Every person is different as are their problems. That is why it is important to try different procedures if one does not work, particularly A-D because they are more associated with mental health and therefore have a much greater impact than methods E1-3. Though these methods also help greatly.

I hope that each of you who reads this article who suffers from insomnia or knows anyone else who suffers from it can fix your/their problem and return to a state of healthy sleep!