Chronic Insomnia... at the end of my tether. WTF can I do?

[Grockle]

I haven't slept properly for years. I'm exhausted. I go to bed tired & yawning but toss & turn. In a good phase, I can sleep for 5-6 hours but will wake 2-6 times each night, sometimes just for a few seconds and other times for minutes or hours.

In a bad phase, I'll sleep for 2 hours a night.

I also have chronic illness that can cause extreme fatigue & severe pain. At the moment, I'm quite well, apart from the sleep thing but I can't carry on like this.

Sleeping tablets send me to sleep but they are strictly rationed & I am therefore unable to have them more than a couple of times a week.

I have tried:
ADs (all sorts)
Strong painkillers (Gabapentin, Tramadol, Amitriptyline)
Rescue remedies
lavender oil
hot baths
warm drinks
Good sleep hygiene
hypnotherapy

WTF else can I do? I can't live like this.

I read a few books, tried hypnotherapy apps, all useless.

I usually find doxylamine succinate helps, not always but most of the time.

Ps they're antihistamine so you shouldn't get any rebound insomnia, if that was the problem with pills you've tried.

Thank you. I find with Nytol and similar I sleep worse afterwards because I know I haven't taken a pill, iyswim. I guess that would happen with any pill.

I went through insomnia when I had depression.
After going bad to GP many times in the end she gave me zopclone for 2 weeks only.
They worked except there addictive!

She then gave me antihistamine can't remember the name, but not over the counter ones. I used to take these if I was tossing and turning or hadn't slept the night before.

Ask your GP,

Just saying Hi as a fellow insomniac. 4am this morning before I managed to settle and awake at 6. Mine is medication induced due to flare up of long term condition. Driving me insane.

Well i must be the last insomniac still whistling Dixie! Sweet dreams