I don't usually have trouble sleeping. A friend once told me of typically lying in bed for an hour or more every night before he finally sleeps. I think I might be awake for a minute or two--my head hits the pillow and I'm out.

Getting to bed is the trick--sometimes I'm up later than I like when I'm working on things, and sometimes it is because I've had caffeine too late in the day. I don't drink caffeinated drinks after about 3pm and I start thinking about trying to go to bed around 10:30, though actually get to bed between 11 and 12.

I'm a practitioner of the power nap--they're absolutely wonderful. The optimum length of time for me is somewhere between 11 and 15 minutes. Set a kitchen timer on the dresser, pull a washcloth or pillow over my eyes to block out the light, and just relax. (Discourage the cats from trying to join you partway through or it disturbs the relaxation.) You don't need a lot of sleep to feel very refreshed. These don't interfere with going to sleep at night.

SRS