You may notice that this entry is posted in the wee hours of the morning — nearly 5 a.m. It’s not that I’m an early riser, either. Far from it. I haven’t been to sleep yet. And this is because I broke some rules of good sleep hygiene.

Do you ever have insomnia? Throughout my life I have wrestled with bouts of it. I’m a very light sleeper anyhow. Much of the problem is under my control, however, and it’s when I ignore the following guidelines that I lose sleep.

1. Go to sleep at the same time every night.
2. Set up a routine of self-soothing before bed; this means no television. Instead, light a candle and ponder the day’s events, read a meditation, listen to soothing music, bathe, or whatever it is that calms you.
3. Use the bed only for sleep or sex.
4. Avoid alcohol in general.
5. Avoid caffeine after mid-day.
6. Try to get to sleep in only 15-30 minutes; otherwise, get out of bed and read or do something not overly arousing.
7. Don’t exercise 2-3 hours before sleep.
8. Talk about problems during the day; bedtime is not the moment to broach upsetting subjects.

We are creatures of habit and cycles, and our bodies respond well to consistency. In my case, the inability to sleep arises from not observing guideline numbers 1, 4, and 5 yesterday.

I have found that warm milk does help sometimes, and there are other foods for sleep if you don’t like milk. Now and then Valerian tea helps, but this must be used carefully and in small doses. Check with your doctor before taking any herbal supplements in any form.