[Will]

Martin, there is no doubt that stress was a major contributing factor to my sleeplessness. However, it is interesting to note that I am still under considerable stress. I now have a family to worry about, as well as three different businesses to keep on track. It raises interesting questions about the nature of different types of stress.

I would also say that tried and tested natural treatments for insomnia played a role in the transition towards better sleep and breaking the entrenched insomnia pattern. I am not saying that these techniques and routines would work for everyone, but they are still worth a try. I had to spend quite a bit of time experimenting and finding what worked for me. Over time, I developed a combination of sleep hygiene, evening preparation and general awareness which worked for me. Number one was the practice of stress reduction techniques, including meditation, moderate exercise and yoga. I also did a fair amount of research into diet and how it affects sleep. If I continue to follow these simple practices, my sleep quality tends to improve. If I ignore them, the sleeplessness returns.

I guess that what I am saying is that, just like maintaining healthy body weight, fitness, mental acuity and good relationships, I have found that I have to work quite hard at sleep and develop habits which I will probably have to maintain for life. I'd be interested to hear other members' thoughts on this.

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