Do you ever suffer from insomnia? How do you deal with it when you need to sleep?

I used to have a real problem with insomnia. It started with post-deployment bad dreams and eventually got worse when I got into the habit of staying in bed even when I wasn't able to sleep. I'm still not the greatest sleeper but I have learned a few techniques that help.
1st - and perhaps most important: If you're in bed and haven't fallen asleep in 10 or 20 minutes, get up for a while until you feel tired. You do not want your body to learn that it's okay to lie in bed and NOT sleep.
2nd - Avoid caffeine and/or other stimulants for at least 8 hours before bed.
3rd - Start slowing down a couple of hours before you need to go to bed. Let your body naturally start to relax.
4th - Try active visualization. That is, lie down, relax, and imagine yourself performing a lengthy task. For me it can be as simple as washing dishes or as complex as pre-flighting an airplane. It is important that you focus on the task you are imagining doing, as if you were really doing it. I find that now, I am asleep before I finish the task. But for a while I had to do two or three things before I finally shut off enough to sleep. A key to this is to lie in the posture you normally sleep in and then to focus completely on the imagined task.
5th - Do not "try" to sleep. Just let it happen.
I hope this helps.

SGT Gunderson,

I have since early on in my military career. Seek medical help.

~ole Sarge~

-I do my best to limit excess light exposure leading up to bed. Sometimes I do some light reading, nothing too heavy
-I try to eat at least 3 hours before bed and no fluids 2 hours beforehand
-I try to keep the bedroom cool, quiet and dark as possible
-I started using a weighted blanket about a month ago and I think it helps
-I started using the Headspace meditation/mindfulness app. They have specific modules for falling asleep and also sleep sounds
-Sometimes I use a white noise app

That's what I can think of off the top of my head.

I tried the alcohol method, never lasted (and had to pee a lot)!
I watched movies until I couldn't keep my eyes open...
Took Melatonin, which worked really well, but I didn't like taking meds all the time....
Now, don't laugh, but I tried a breathing exercise and it works like a champ. You may look and sound like an idiot, but it worked. Now, I only need to think about doing the exercises and I am out. Here is the link (not original I used, but the same exercise): http://www.medicaldaily.com/life-hack-sleep-4-7-8-breathing-exercise-will-supposedly-put-you-sleep-just-60-332122