Moon rise - Sleep disorder

I have been having a lot of trouble sleeping lately... Like for the last 10 or 15 years, say. Hence my love of energy drinks. For a few years here and there I have been a good sleeper but I have also had major bouts with insomnia. In the last year and a half I realized that when I was at the point where the lack of sleep was affecting my life (and you don't always notice; it creeps up on you) I decided it was OK to take sleeping pills to get the sleep I needed. I do this maybe three times a year for a couple of days running. This puts me back on track and gets me sleeping again. After that I am good to go and start sleeping between 10:30 and 11 every night (I get up at 6 every morning). This is WAY better than 12:30 or 1:30 bedtimes or rising in the middle of the night for a couple of hours. I wouldn't recommend the pills to everyone but they do work. And yes, I have tried all the standard sleep techniques (e.g. bed at the same time every night, winding down before bed, no napping, I don't drink coffee, etc). Anyway, off to bed! Once I do the dishes, that is.