I am a 20 year insomniac. And there are further moves up and down the foodchain that can help with insomnia. Avoid bedrooms with eastern exposures in the morning (classic.) When you rent an apartment, make very sure (and don’t take the landlord or realtor’s word for it) that there are no night workers (who are often up and noisy all night long on weekdays or dogs – they all bark when the owner’s away.) Consider the much damned benzodiazepam. Ambien and Sonata currently have a lock on the market and many doctors in New York are afraid to prescribe anything else for fear of liability. But some psychiatrists and gp’s will prescribe benzo’s if you’re like me and feel Ambien is as useful as popcorn. Just be sure you don’t start taking more and more of them (addictive spiral) and don’t have reasons to fear becoming addicted. And many insomniacs do have such reasons – be warned! On the other hand, I have taken ativan 2mg at night 365 days for 20 years and it did not make me take any extra at night or in the daytime. If you can afford it (and it’s very expensive) consider double or even triple paning your windows and having sound engineers or just workmen test and/or lower your ceilings or wherever the sound eminates from. And, of course, don’t have children under 12. And the most basic rules of all: bed for sex and sleeping only. Get up at the same time every day if at all possible.
Consider significant additional exercise during daytime and serious meditation at night. And for that matter, it may be time to consider a new job – or whatever else the thorn in the side is that’s causing the insomnia.