Restful sleep is very important for mental, physical and emotional well-being. If insomnia is a problem there are several things you can do.

1. Establish regular times to go to sleep and wake up.

2. Minimize irregular noises with a monotonous background sound like a fan. There are also small sound machines that can be purchased from electronic stores. They can produce sounds like the rain or surf or "white noise" which is similar to the sound your TV makes when there is no channel.

3. Make sure your sleeping environment is very dark, including the early morning period. If you can't modify your room sleepshades are essential.

4. No caffeine for 6 to 8 hours before retiring.

5. No alcohol for 4 to 6 hours before going to bed. Although alcohol may make you feel drowsy it interferes with normal dreaming and restful sleep.

6. A high carbohydrate snack can produce natural drowsiness. Try milk and cookies or juice and pretzels or hot chocolate and toast.

7. Once you're in bed, stay there. If you get up you're training yourself to have insomnia.

8. Don't read or watch TV in bed. Let your body associate the bed with sleeping (and/or sex).

9. Melatonin may be nature's sleeping pill. Take 1 to 3 mg 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime.

10. Two antihistamines, diphenhydramine (Nytol, Benadryl and others) and doxylamine (Unisom and others) can be obtained without a prescription. They are helpful for some people but may cause daytime sedation, impairment of motor skills or dry mouth.

11. Prescription sleeping pills can be valuable for short term or infrequent use. A good choice might be a benzodiazepine like alprazolam (Xanax) or a newer drug zolpidem (Ambien). Your doctor can prescribe one that's right for you.

12. Regular exercise will improve your sleep.

13. Training in relaxation techniques is the most powerful cure for insomnia. It requires an investment in time and energy to learn and practice the technique. The advantage is that it's natural and once you master it you can use it for the rest of your life.