Sleep my pretty... or not Sleepless nights, bad skin and brain fog. How do you cope with insomnia?

I used to have this brilliant magical skill; it put me in a good mood, gave me energy, helped me concentrate AND it was good for my skin and my weight. I used to sleep eight hours a night and oh MAN do I miss it!

I recently started experiencing insomnia and it’s really got me thinking about how crucial a good night’s sleep is. Not to mention how I used to completely take it for granted.

I’ve tried everything: meditation, lavender, cutting down on caffeine, thinking sleepy thoughts (actual, genuine advice from my mam, a trained medical professional.) At night my brain is going a mile a minute but during the day I’m experiencing constant brain fog.

Oh, the frustration!

My skin is the worst it's been since I was a hormonal teenager: Spotty with dry patches and bags under my eyes that would never pass Ryanairs cabin-baggage size check.

While we're asleep human growth hormone production increases, helping to repair the outer layer of the skin, so when sleep is restricted the resulting dehydration causes the dreaded bags AND makes fine lines more visible. Sleeplessness also compromises your immune system and makes you irritable.

I'm exhausted just thinking about this.

So has anyone ever suffered from insomnia, and is there something I should try that I haven't thought of?