So tired... but I can't sleeeeppp...

Another night deprived of slumber
Hours passing without number
My eyes trace 'round the room; I lay...

If these lines from Bill Watterson's poetic side sound like your typical night, you may have a condition known as insomnia, or a chronic inability to fall/stay asleep. This can be a very serious problem and should be treated as quickly as possible. A few simple ways to handle it include:

Ease up on the coffee. Too many people overuse coffee, either as a recreational beverage or just from trying to do too much at a time, and then lo and behold they can't sleep at night. So cut back on caffeine or other stimulants and see if that helps. Reducing intake of sugary drinks will also help.

"Tea Off." I used to suffer from insomnia, and found that a cup of chamomile tea works wonders. Most grocery stores carry it as plain chamomile or part of a blend, such as "Tension Tamer" which I think is produced by the Herbal Essences brand. But don't pick just any old tea; most contain caffeine.

Remove sources of Tension. Too many people make their bed an office, sitting on or near it to do paperwork, surf the net, etc. Your body and brain need to associate bed with sleep. So do your work in the daytime at the kitchen table or in the living room whenever possible. Also get rid of clocks with light-up displays or ones that tick or buzz constantly; such things can make it difficult to sleep. If you need an alarm clock and the only one you have lights up, turn it the other way. And forget those projector alarm clocks (I don't get why people think they need the time projected on the wall or ceiling anyway. Unless you're wearing a neck brace, it shouldn't be that hard to just turn your head ninety degrees). On a personal note, if you have a vivid imagination like mine then you should NEVER watch or read anything creepy especially before bed. I watched a few YouTube videos on the Michigan dog-man once and regretted it for weeks.

Make your room a source of comfort. Set up for relaxation. Pain the walls your favorite color - unless it's something stark like red, which is my favorite. In that case, go for your favorite pastel. If you're really feeling artistice, you may even want to paint the room in a fairly simple scene such as light blue with a few puffy clouds. Get together some relaxing sounds or music; in fact I have taken the liberty of constructing a playlist on YouTube for just such emergencies. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?p=DD433C4458084496 Just click "Play All," and let the music do the rest. Also, aromas can be useful. I've heard vanilla's a good one; also things like a beach or fresh-cut grass can be relaxing. If you'd rather not keep buying air fresheners, try potpourri; just get some of whatever fragrant item you want (florists will often be willing to give away flowers that are past their prime cheaply or for free), press the petals or leaves between two pieces of newspaper and a few good-sized books until dry, and fill a pillow with them. The best part of this approach is that the more you toss and turn, the more scent is released to help you relax.

That's all I have for now. If I can find the Doctor's Book of Home Remedies I can probably get a few more.

UPDATE: I remembered a couple more tricks.

Wear socks. Footie pajamas may seem childish, but keeping your feet warm will make it a lot easier to get to sleep.

Warm up. Take a warm shower or bath before bed, either promptly or up to an hour in advance. The relaxing heat and subsequent drop as your body temperature returns to normal will bring Mr. Sandman running.

hehe yep this sounds like what i used to go through every night. though i couldn't really give up coffee. so i tried something differant. i whent out just before i wanted to wind down and i ran until my legs hurt. then i'd go home and try to sleep. it didn't always work but it helped me out a lot.

ugh. Happens (and happened) to me sometimes, usually when exams are on. I dunno how to fight it, really.