Q: I am a 19 years old male student suffering from insomnia. The doctor has advised me to take Alprax 0.25 mg but that drug is absolutely not effective on me. I have tried Sibelium and Naprosyn as well. I also get severe headaches. Can you please suggest me some sedative or sleeping pill, which is effective so that I can get it prescribed? Please help me. My exams are nearing and I am awake for the whole night and ruining my studies.

A:According to your description, it seems as if you are sleepy during the day and not able to sleep at night - if that is the case it is not really insomnia but it could be because your sleep cycle has become abnormal. That is, normally we are able to sleep from 9-10 PM till 6-7 AM, but in some cases it gets abnormal - for example some individuals with such disturbance can go to sleep later in the night (3-6 AM) but are not able to sleep if they go to bed at 9-10 PM and sleep through if allowed till 1-3 PM. Such individuals are known to have delayed sleep phase syndrome. It is possible that you might have such sleep disturbance. I would suggest that you stop any activating activities (reading / studies / physical activities) for 2 hours prior to your desired bedtime (for example 10 PM). During this time wear dark glasses/goggles, keep the lights dim and can try a sleep medication such as zolpidem. These changes and medication might help you fall asleep. Also, have a set time to wake up and be under bright sun light for about an hour after wake up. In addition, try to follow other good sleep hygiene measures as well. These measures might help you sleep better at night.