I asked my work colleagues if they could give me some potential cures for insomnia, having had a number of sleepless nights recently. They obliged, and I promised to collate and blog the results! Here they are:

• Avoid caffeine, alcohol and soft drinks for a few days, especially in the two hours before bedtime.
• Avoid daytime naps.
• Avoid working and watching TV in the two hours before bedtime.
• Do as little as possible in the two hours before bedtime - don’t go ironing your shirt 15 minutes before sleep.
• Don’t do any strenuous exercise after 8 PM.
• Don’t drink any caffeine - coffee, tea, Lucozade, Coke after 1 PM.
• Don’t write any e-mails or do any work-related activity after 8 PM - in fact, turn off the computer altogether by 9 PM even if you are using it for recreation.
• Get a routine that works for you and stick to it as much as possible.
• Get some fresh air and exercise.
• Get up every day at 6 AM, no complaining, no staying in bed, just get up for at least three days straight.
• Go for a massage with a physiotherapist.
• If you have a baby, put them in the pram / pushchair and bring them for a brisk walk of between a half and hour and three quarters of an hour just before their sleep routine starts.
• Imagine you are ten years old again and that your only cares are that you will be allowed to play aliens versus trekkies with your friends all day tomorrow - you will be Captain Kirk.
• In bed when you are trying to drop off, and if you play golf, imagine playing a few holes as if you were Tiger Woods - imagine the lie of the ball, hazards, targets, etc. - if you play other games, then picture yourself in game scenarios in multicolour detail.
• Make the room dark.
• Make yourself a pot of tea with two to three teaspoons of chamomile flowers about one to two hours before you go to bed.
• Only go to bed when you are actually tired - you should only be in bed for about 15 minutes before you fall asleep.
• Read a light fiction book until you start to get sleepy, then turn off the light - don’t read past your sleepy phase.
• Read a really, really boring book.
• Reduce the stress in your life (what stress?!).
• Remove the computer in your bedroom.
• Switch the computer off / avoid using it at least one hour before going to bed.
• Take 10 milligrams of Stillnoct before bedtime for one week, followed by 5 milligrams during the second week.
• Take a walk in the evening after dinner if weather permits, and after coming back take a mild warm cup of milk with one teaspoon of honey.
• Try and fit in 30 minutes to an hour of exercise at the gym either directly before or after work.
• Try Bien Dormir capsules made only from plants.
• Try going for a long walk for about one hour, or practise some relaxation techniques.
• Try meditation to chill and calm the mind.
• Try reading a very technical article on a subject that you don’t know about and are not interested in - you probably won’t get past page 2.
• Try taking some lullaby milk, or at least take the active ingredient melatonin.
• Try telling yourself over and over that you are sleeping in your head.
• Try to go to bed at the same time each night.

Thanks to Brian D., Brian W., Cathal, Doug, Eyal, Gearoid, Ina, Kashif, Liga, Maria, Matt, Sylvia and Tudor for the suggestions.

Disclaimer: Use this information at your own risk.