For anyone struggling with insomnia

Honestly, I don’t really have issues actually staying asleep, it’s just that getting my brain to shut down in the first place is a total struggle for me... and it's been like this forever. I’ll hop into bed and then just lie there for a solid hour trying to drift off, especially since I am super sensitive to any kind of noise or background chatter. Like, if someone is sleeping next to me and they start snoring or even just breathing a little heavy? Forget about it, there is absolutely no way I'm falling asleep. And even once I finally do pass out, every tiny little sound wakes me right back up and just totally fries my nerves. 😠
I guess what I'm saying is that my real issue is just having a hard time falling asleep...😲

I haven’t had a decent night's sleep in roughly fifteen years—not that I actually "sleep," per se, but rather drift in and out of consciousness several times a night. After an endless, futile cycle of seeing specialists and therapists, I finally just threw in the towel.
There is work-related stress in my life, certainly, though I do my best to mitigate it. I eat a balanced diet, I stay active, I maintain a social life outside of the office, and I wouldn't say I'm unhappy with my circumstances... and yet, the insomnia persists.
The worst part, however, was the medication—the sedatives and sleep aids. Not only did they fail to provide rest, but they left me utterly incapable of functioning the next day. During those periods when doctors were prescribing them heavily, large stretches of my life became a complete fog—if I can even call it "remembering" things at all.