So I think I've figured this whole sleep thing out. And by 'figured out' I mean 'accepted the fact that I am not normal'.

So remember how I don't sleep? And how I've quit taking ridiculous amounts of sleeping aids because I didn't want to force my liver into early retirement? So it hasn't been easy but I think I've figured out of formula of what I have to do in order to sleep at night. If I skip one step, I get little to no sleep. I figured maybe some of these techniques will help others that can't sleep, so here it goes:

- Wake up ridiculously early. Like 6am early.
- Work for 11 hours. Race around the building all day long getting to meetings and listening to callers yell at you.
- Don't drink any kind of soda after 2 pm. Even if it doesn't have caffeine. In fact, just don't drink anything after 2pm.
- Get home and tackle some kind of project. Clean the entire house, re-organize your closet, alphabetize all your dvds, etc.
- Write a To-Do List for the next day so you can stop stressing about forgetting something.
- Around 8pm start a 'bedtime routine'. This is very similar to what you would do with a toddler to get them in the routine. Take a shower at the same time every night, brush your teeth, and if you really feel like reminiscing, put on some baby lotion.
- Turn off all lights, and force yourself to lay in bed (no books! no movies!).
- Don't let yourself out of the bed no matter how much you may cry. You'll just get distracted and end up watching an entire season of Lost.
- Remind yourself to not freak out that it is 2 am and you still haven't slept - this just getting your brain freaked out which is not conducive to sleep.

If these are all not followed, I get very little sleep. But, hey! I get some sleep and that's what counts. I think.