Try exercise. Some people like to jog, walk, or practice yoga before sleeping. Stretch after exercising, take a hot bath with lavendar scented bubble bath/bath salts/bath oils. Drink something warm like sleep easy tea, decaffinated green tea or warm milk and then lay down for bed. The exercise creates endophins in your body that reduces stress and helps you to sleep. The stretching and bath will ease any tension in your body. Both the exercise and bath will improve circulation. Warm liquids subconsciously remind us of the warm milk we had as infants and children and the temperature relaxes us even more.
Put on your most comfortable pajamas, lay in bed, close your eyes and visualize an ocean tide rolling in and out on a beach. You should fall asleep within 15min or so.
Make sure the lights are dim for a few hours before sleep. Don't look at your computer or phone (the screens actually stimulate our brains and keep us awake). Don't consume sugar or caffiene during evening hours. And be sure to begin winding down as your bedtime nears.
For people suffering from sleep problems, the best cure is habit. Once we create a routine for ourselves, that routine begins to trigger a sleepy response because our body begins to prepare for what is coming! Sleep.
So don't dismay if it doesn't work the first night, or the third night, but as you continue a routine, your body will give in, and then everytime you perform your routine, your body will react like clockwork.
And if none of that works. Steep passionflower tea in a mug for 10min covered, drink and trust me, you'll sleep. Great thing about passionflower is its counter is caffeine. If you drink it and something happens where you need to be awake, a strong cup of coffee will counter it safely. And you can also purchase passionflower in most grocery stores.
The problem with taking anything medicinally for sleep is that your body can become dependent on it. Not that its addictive, but your body will not learn to fall asleep on its own if you force it to through medicinal means. So its best to try the natural approach first.
From now untill the night, don't drink any coffee or energetic drink. Before you go to sleep, make it a comfortable space. If it's really cold where you live, use a comfy blanket, if it's really hot use non warming bed sheets and take one also to cover yourself (while trying to sleep or meditate, mosquito or fly bites are the worst thing ever)
Than lay down and first get comfortable, and just a lil bit... hmm, sleepy and calm. Find the position that gets you even sleepier, that will help you fall asleep quickly. When you're done, lay in the position. Relax your whole body, and feel it getting heavier and heavier, weighing tons. Just like if you were going to astral or etheric project. Just think of something that could easily become a nice, sweet dream. For example a beach. Don't picture as seeing it, imagine you are on the beach, as if you're looking in front of yourself and there's beach. Try to get really into the image, that would probably bring you to sleep, it does bring me.
If it doesn't, keep meditating and relaxing, and when you get to the shaky, vibrating state where you would usually astral project, you should kind of 'force' yourself to sleep. You will know how to at that moment, I mean it will be... idk, a choice? Just let go of yourself, not of just your physical body, 'cause you do that when you project, but both.. Just totally surrender and you'll fall asleep. It will most probably be possible, because than you are totally calm, and you could even fall asleep before this state if you are that sleepy.
Good luck. :D
Also, drinking a lot of milk helps. I don't know if it would get you sleepy, but I drink cold milk in the morning and evening and since I started, I sleep a lot better ^^ I didn't sleep for about 7 nights, but I slept in the morning to noon, yet since I started drinking cold milk before sleep it's better. You can try warm tho, but warm drink doesn't get me sleepy. :D
Is this a one-time thing? If so, what has changed in your life in the past day or two?
How are your sleep patterns generally? Do you keep to a schedule in life? How is your sleeping situation, your bedroom, etc - it is conducive to rest?
Do you consume stimulants on a daily basis? Perscription drugs? Sugar? Soda?
Are you always on the go? How are you around resting? Do you take time to be peaceful in your day? How are you emotionally - reactive? repressive?
You don't need to answer these questions, but these are just a fraction of things that play into sleeping patterns.
Remember, your body is wise and your symptoms are your teachers - what is this period of sleeplessness trying to teach you about how to care for your body? I'd recommend focusing on that before seeking to over-ride this learning with depressants, herbal or otherwise.
as previously stated,i would advise exercise to the point where you can barely stand up and function like a normal person. and if that doesnt work i would advise trying laying down on your back and just visualize something and have that play out till that turns into a dream.
