The most effective thing I've ever tried was to see a lung specialist who had me put through a sleep apnea test. It was effective in identifying a loss of REM sleep during the various sleep cycles at night.
I am now taking CPAP (continuous positive air pressure), wearing a mask at bedtime; I sleep wonderfully and wake up refreshed, getting 8 hours of sleep every night regardless of what's going on around me.
To boost the startup up, I drink a glass of water, then put a few grains of unrefined Himalayan salt on my tongue and let that dissolve. That puts you to sleep on its own practically.
Some people are born with low ability to sustain REM (or rapid eye movement) sleep. Even very young people suffer with the disorder. Testing is the only way to identify it.
Rem sleep is that form of rest that recharges one's "battery" and gives energy for activity during the day. The body can store it, and usually sleep disorders may be that one doesn't have enough stored rem sleep to keep the energy level of the body fit for activity. It makes a HUGE difference in how one feels.
Barring that, I would suggest that you remove coffee, tea, and chocolate from your diet for several weeks and see how that works. Also try cutting off TV and your computer at least two hours before bedtime to give your body time to start producing melatonin to aid with sleep production. Light from the TV or computer can slow down the time melatonin begins to be released.
Some sleep problems are probably related to the acid residue of prescribed medications. There's very little that can be done about that except to use unrefined salt and drink plenty of water in an effort to help reduce acidity, or you can change the diet to a more alkaline state by watching types of food eaten. Lemon water is
especially good at relaxing the body and removing acidity; even though it tastes very bitter, the lemon is actually strongly alkaline.
Take care and get some good rest.
It's Genetic
Post Edited (It's Genetic) : 4/26/2012 6:14:00 AM (GMT-6)