I can't sleep anymore :(

I think this is the best advice I saw on here. Even herbal preparations can be harmful if you don't need them and don't know what you are doing. I think too that you should go to the doctor or to a sleep specialist too. They can test you and know what questions to ask about this specific problem. Good luck to you.

yes, i agree -- you need professional help if it's really troubling you. also, the above poster is right --- taking vitamin c, particularly the kiwi fruit, could aid in giving you a good night's sleep. i wouldn't suggest taking sleeping pills, though, unless, of course, if they're under a doctor's prescription.

I think it would make life unbearable

For effective meditation we need to be able to silence and purify the mind. In the beginning this means stopping thoughts from entering our mind completely. In the beginning this may seem a little daunting however there are various exercises which can help us to achieve this: 1. Firstly we need to purify the mind. We can do this by repeating a mantra many times. For example we could repeat the mantra AUM or Supreme. When chanting the mantra we should feel that the mantra embodies a meditative consciousness. As we repeatedly chant the mantra our thoughts cannot enter. 2. Identify with our soul. We should feel that what we are is not our mind. We should try to identify with our own soul. The soul is the inner, divine part of ourselves which is by nature pure and unencumbered by thoughts. We can say to ourselves "I am the soul". Feel that for our meditation exercises nothing else exists excepts our inner soul. Sri Chinmoy says: "The moment you can say and feel, "I am the soul," and meditate on this truth, your soul's infinite purity will enter into your heart. Then, from the heart, the infinite purity will enter into your mind." Purity in the mind means that thoughts will no longer bother you. 3. Asserting Control over the mind. When we meditate we should feel that it is we who have control over the mind and not the other way around. 4. Control of Breathing. To silence the mind we can focus all our attention on our breathing. Our breathing should be soft and gentle. The breathing should not be unnatural. The secret is to focus all our attention on our breathing and not anything else. As we breathe in we focus on this, as we breathe out again we become one with this sensation. By concentrating totally on our breathing we slow our mind down. With nothing else to think about our mind becomes one pointed and concentrated. 5. The inner flame. Visualisations can play an important role in meditation. Try to imagine a candle flame burning in your heart. This flame symbolises our inner aspiration, the yearning for something higher and deeper. The flame also symbolises light. You can feel this light is burning away the impurities of the mind. 6. Throw out thoughts. Each time a thought comes feel you can take hold of the thought and screw it up into a small object. Then this object can be thrown out of your mind. If you constantly reject thoughts you will notice two things. Firstly you become aware that thoughts are separate to our real identity. Secondly if thoughts are never allowed to grow they will stop coming altogether. 7. Value silence. We live such hectic lifestyles that silence often seems something unattainable. Complete inner silence may seem like exploring unchartered territory. However we should feel that silence embodies a very powerful consciousness which embodies peace and inner joy. "There was a time when I love you, O my thought-world. But now I love the beauty of a silence-mind and the purity of a gratitude-heart." - Sri Chinmoy All meditation exercises can be effective if practised soulfully and regularly. The more we put in the more we will get out. However we shouldn't expect results overnight, we also need to develop the capacity of patience. .................... About the Author S.Guy is a member of Sri Chinmoy Centre in Cambridge

oops! i forgot! about your frequent urination, have your urine tested for UTI(urinary tract infection). frequent urination especially at night is one of the symptoms of UTI. the test is called Urinalysis.

i pretty much agree with the rest of the guys here. sleeping pills should only be taken after seeing a specialist about your sleeping problems. i have irregular insomnia. most days when i'm really stressed out or depressed i cant sleep well. but when i'm relaxed and having good days, i can sleep well and even late into the morning, hehehe. so try seeing a doctor first before committing to the pills coz from what i hear, sometimes these pills can get addicting if you rely too much in them. i never used them once. a glass of warm milk and a relaxed mind can help you lull way into dreamland, too, just try em. good luck!