Wow Deborah. I am so sorry to hear about your chronic history of sleep deprivation. It’s great that you are still trying to find answers after hitting what seems to be so many dead ends. There are so many possible reasons for insomnia, and the underlying medical issues that may be at play should continue to be explored with a physician you trust, and if you haven’t found one you feel is really listening to you, keep looking! it’s a complicated task to understand what may be helpful for you. Here are some very basic ideas about sleep hygiene that may be worth continuing to explore and solidify in your life if you haven’t already.

• Creating a bedtime ritual. Shutting off ALL electronic devices and dimming lights at least one hour prior to going to bed prepares the body for sleep. In addition you may consider taking a warm bath, listening to one of Dr. Amen’s meditation audios, and drinking a cup of warm herbal tea like chamomile. 
• Sleep Friendly Nutrition. What we eat during the day is key to all of our body’s processes, including sleep. Eliminate the biggest culprits including caffeine, sugar, and refined flours, and do not eat anything at all at least 2-3 hours before sleep. You may consider getting tested for food allergies, which can influence sleep as well. Check out the Omni Diet, Tana Amen’s book, for more information on a whole foods’ diet that helps optimize our health, including sleep.
• Exercise. Incorporating an exercise routine into your life can greatly help sleep, as long as you do not do high intensity exercise 2-3 hours before bed which can have the opposite effect! 
• Journal. You may consider keeping a journal if you know that a “busy brain” is keeping you up at night. Writing down thoughts in free form gets them out of your body and can often lower stress internally, leaving you better prepared for rest.

Discovering your personal path to good, deep sleep may require more than these simple suggestions, so if you need more support, let us know!

I work for an eye care clinic and have recently been learning about the effects of blue light from electronics and compact fluorescent light bulbs can affect the body’s circadian rhythm- more and more people spend time on cell phones, tablets, laptops, desk tops, game consoles etc. and are having trouble unwinding.   So it is important to shut them down before bed.

Thank you for the response! Ottawa has limited physicians and certainly few that deal with insomnia!!
i have established a very good sleep pattern and seldome change it!
i am exhausted all of the time!! I remember one night approx 10 yrs ago when I slept drug free and woke up feeling like a 3 yr old with so much energy

i am going to see if Ivan get a scan done as I want to be drug free and be able to sleep

That’s a great idea Mcleese3! Certainly would be most helpful to know what is causing the insomnia so you can learn what to do to make it better! You know how great you can feel after a good night’s sleep, so imagine if that were consistent. It could be life changing!

This subject is near and dear to my heart.  I spent 3 years with chronic insomnia after my acute attack of Hep C (which almost claimed my life, because my doctors couldn’t figure out why my liver and kidneys went into failure).  Don’t give up, Mcleese3…just don’t give up!  There are answers for you, and the right people and opportunities will come along to help put your sleep problems behind you!  It’s a complex puzzle, putting all the pieces of mind, body, emotions and spirit in place…but your life has a perfect image and they will all fit together eventually….don’t lose heart!

Update…. I have been sleeping almost pharmaceutical free with hypnosis and supplements for 2 weeks regular!!! I am so impressed and feeling so optimistic!! Brain fog … Gone… Have been able to set goals and achieve/surpass them in past 3 weeks…. Thank you thank you All for this site…

Your post just made me smile. Keep up the amazing work. Thanks to everyone who has supported this thread!!