It's 2:00 AM in the morning and you are wide wake wondering if getting back to sleep again will ever happen! You lay in the bed, aimlessly starring at the ceiling. You close your eyes. Nothing. You can't sleep. You roll over, punch your pillow, and take a deep breath. You close your eyes again. Nothing; what now?

If this scenario seems to match your nightly routine then you need these tips. First off, get up! Get up, get out, and get moving.

Of course this seems like it would be doing the opposite of what you're actually trying to accomplish but in reality, it's getting your mind moving. By turning your mind back on it's like you're awake again. Once awake, your mind will begin to slow down until eventually you're tired again and you can softly drift off to sleep... again.

When you get up, it's also important that you don't turn on bright lights or do anything which would need too much brain power (school or work related things). Instead turn on a dim lamp and read an uneventful book (one you've previously read or even a manual).

Don't turn on the TV either. It could over-stimulate your brain and wake you up too much. Try turning on the radio instead. Definitely don't get on the computer...the blue light from the screen can definitely jazz up your brain and there goes another sleep-filled night.

Other tips for insomnia are to practice meditation or visualization. Imagine something repetitive, like sheep jumping over a fence again and again and again. This keeps your brain from wandering and eventually you'll be back asleep.

If that doesn't work then another tip for insomnia is to have a light snack. Sometimes if you're hungry, your stomach will keep waking you up until you give into its desire for food. Are there foods that can help reduce insomnia?

Yes!

It will help if you eat something with the natural reactant serotonin in it; such as milk, fruit, crackers, turkey, peanuts, or other type of nuts. It's much easier to fall asleep with something in your stomach.

If that still doesn't do the trick then try going to bed later. There is nothing worse than forcing yourself to be tired, when it is clear that you're not. So go ahead, stay up a little later, but do something to "wind down" like yoga or light reading.

If none of these suggestions for getting back to sleep work then your final hope would be to adjust the temperature of your room. If you're body is too hot you'll wake up to kick off blankets or something but at the same time, if it's too cold then you could wake up being chilled; enough to even keep you up for many hours. So go get a blanket, turn on a fan, or readjust your thermostat.

Take a deep breath. Relax.

Getting back to sleep doesn't have to be hard; it's as easy as closing your eyes.