Trouble sleeping.

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Here we go again.
It's four o'clock at night in Holland and I can't sleep. I have tried almost everything except sleeping pills.
What am I to do?

I am sorry. I eventually had to go to sleeping pills. Melatonin is available as a non controlled substance for sleeping in the USA that has less side effects compared to normal sleeping pills. A glass of warm milk is supposed too help if you can drink milk, or some soothing camomile tea. not doing strenuous activities before bed. going to bed at the same time every night and having no lights on in the room are all supposed too help.

Some things that have worked for me...

Melatonin - only take it just before you normally go to sleep. This may not happen to everyone, but if I take it late at night... 2am for example, I might fall asleep, but I will end up with the worst depression I have ever endured the next day. If I take it when I normally go to sleep but suspect I might have trouble sleeping, it usually works fine.

Exercise - if you do a bit of aerobic exercise an hour or two before going to sleep, this can sometimes help. If you do it too soon before going to bed, you'll likely not be able to sleep, but if you give yourself time to cool down, it can help drain excess energy. It's probably best to not make it strenuous.

Carbohydrates - milk can help but other things like something mildly sugary can help knock you out.

Philosophy Bites Podcast - a very good podcast if you like philosophy, but also can be pretty dry at times.

Counting Sheep - I know, it's a cliche but the idea is to break whatever obsessive thoughts you might be having and to bore yourself to sleep. I've used this successfully a couple of times, but it's hard to make it work. I usually start imagining the sheep doing all sorts of weird things and I get amused so I can't fall asleep.

Listening to a calming sound - I like the sound of rain. You might prefer waves on a beach or the sound of wind or a running river. I find this surprisingly effective.

A SMALL amount of alcohol - too much can wake you up. A little can help you relax a bit and sometimes help reduce obsessive thinking.

Watching "Nostalgia" by Andrei Tarkovsky - I think I managed to stay awake while trying to watch this film once, but I almost invariably fall asleep while watching it.

Mildly entertaining Podcasts or radio shows - I often listen to "Car Talk" to fall asleep. What works here is that because it is a call in show where any particular bit only lasts a few minutes, I don't have to listen to the whole show in one sitting. I feel free to fall asleep at any point because none of the stories last very long. It's amusing enough to prevent me from thinking of other things, but not so captivating that I mind falling asleep.

Avoiding looking at Internet forums when I should be going to sleep - which is why I am currently up past my bed time...