Desperately Seeking Sleep: Divine Guidance

Dear Janice, I have suffered from insomnia on and off beginning in my teens. I am now a 42 year old mother of two. I have found that my difficult periods of insomnia typically occur in cycles and is directly correlated to the amount of stress I am experiencing at any given point in time. However, I do not fall asleep easily on any night! As a result, I have established a sleep routine. The "routine" is as follows: I try not to work up until bedtime, no matter how much I have to do. If I do that my mind is too keyed up and sleep is that much more difficult. Instead, I try to do something relaxing, typically reading, which I do in bed. (I also never work in my bedroom as I need a distinction between where I work and where I relax). Often I make a To Do List before bed. If I ever wake in the middle of the night (as you seem to do) it is often because there is something on my mind. Writing it down helps. As a last resort, I have taken Ambien as it doesn't make me groggy. MPL