Having sleepless nights... Any suggestions on getting a normal sleeping pattern?

[Merro]

I've been having sleepless nights lately, I start working soon and I need to get my sleeping schedule back to normal. I try to fall asleep and I can't seem to sleep at night. It's really beginning to aggravate me. I wait and try to fall asleep and it seems like I cant sleep at all. My eyes are always wide open and I have migraines and I'm going to see a doctor for them soon. I've tried melatonin and meditating and they don't seem to help. Meditating helps sometimes but I don't know what I can do to get a normal sleeping pattern. I can't even wake up in the morning and stay up for the rest of the day and go to bed at a normal time. Does anyone know what I can do to get my sleep pattern back to normal? It's like I can't sleep at all anymore. I would appreciate it if anyone can help me. I've tried staying up all day and see if I can get my sleep back but I can't. I don't know if I have Insomnia or what. Would sleeping masks help as well? I can't seem to sleep much lately. >__< I would appreciate it if anyone would give me any ideas. I want to be able to sleep normally again. Should I go to a doctor to get this checked out?

[Bobblehat]

You could try having a bath an hour and half before you go to bed.

[fOrceez]

Initially, about half an hour to an hour before the time that you want to set as your .. bed time, just lie in bed and do some meditation. This may take a week or more for your sleeping pattern to start to go back to normal. If it still persists, you should probably see a doctor

[Deadly]

I get this a lot, wait till you get to a weekend or a couple of days you can 'lose'. Don't go to bed that night, or the next day. Go to bed that night about 2-3 hours before your usual bed time in an ideal world. You'll be very tired, and you'll probably sleep a few hours more than you normally do after 'skipping' one night/days sleep. Activates for the day when you don't sleep should be low energy, your energy levels will go up and down through the day, tired one second, wide awake the next. I just watch mind numbing TV programs to keep my eyes open. If you can't drop off that night, have a quick warm bath, you might even find yourself dropping off in the bath so be careful Hope this works for you!

[Marm]

Autosuggestion. When I was little, I had ADHD and I just could not calm down. My parents didn't want me to take medicine though, so they took me to a psychiatrist. She taught me the technique which enabled me to alter my own behavior, beliefs and even certain bodily processes such as heartbeat if I concentrated enough. Even now, I still use it and am a pretty experienced user. Find the right balance between imagination and concentration. It's best to visualise something relaxing (obviously). Close your eyes and focus on your inner world and completely disregard everything else around you. Then incorporate a short mantra such as "I am falling asleep." Make sure your breathing is steady too.