I read for a while and it usually relaxes me enough to go back to sleep.

me too. I have fibromyalgia and can't sleep through the because of pressure point pain. Watch it though, Ambien can cause sleep walking/eating. It is quite odd to find an empty cookie box on the kitchen counter in the morning...

I never go to bed until I'm sleepy and when I wake up I get up. It's not a problem to me to wake up at odd hours or go to bed at odd hours. I think the alarm clock is the worst sound in the world. I detest it. The first thing I did when I quit working was to get rid of my alarm clock. I never want another one.

Hilarious :-D :-D

I'm going to track this a bit and see if my hunch is right.....I think it's the full moon!
Thank goodness this doesn't happen all the time, or I'd be a wreck. Or in a wreck, considering I drive 800 km per week to get to work.

I like a lot of suggestions put out here.

Nothing seems to work for me, either. I either grab a book or turn the tv on, barely audible. Usually when I am almost back to sleep, a train goes through, or a siren gets me wide awake again.

this may sound silly, but it works. Pick out a word, say "yesterday", and then spell it over and over. This keeps your mind busy, and will lull you back to sleep. It really works!!

I read or take a benedryl, which was recommended by my doctor instead of prescription and it works for me. I sometimes have to take benedryl during the day if I am around kitties. I always get sleepy.

I kept a record of my sleeping patterns and I am the same as you, go straight to sleep but wake at 3 or 4 am and can't go back to sleep. Mine seems to last about 1 week out of the month (I think hormonal) I'm trying some herbal tablets hopefully they will work.

Lately, I've just been hunting down the Fab Shop Hop bunnies. Tried the spelling, but it just bored me.

I'm not a "sleeper" and I've found this has probably been the best thing for me, too. When I do actually sleep, I sleep very hard and wake up rejuvenated. I don't stress about lying there trying to get back to sleep. After 15 or 20 minutes, I get up and read or get on the QB. Sometimes I make a cup of hot cocoa. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But when I'm really sleep deprived, I do get back to sleep. Stressing over it is no help. So relax and enjoy your wakeful hours. Our body clocks change as we age, so just enjoy whatever stage you're in right now. Good luck.