Chronic insomnia can contribute to a whole host of problems so don't postpone getting it treated. If the natural meds don't help try one of the three newest meds for insomnia...Sonata, Ambien or Lunesta. What makes these meds different from the sleeping pills of the past is that they actually improve sleep architecture(SA) SA is the natural cycles of deep sleep and REM sleep (dream sleep) Deep sleep contributes to healing the body and REM sleep helps consolidate what we learn during the day into long term memory. Chronic insomnia throws off SA and and is the major contributor to depression relapse, not to mention anxiety, poor concentration, delays in physical healing, auto accidents etc. Alcohol may help some get to sleep but it throws off the SA and causes you to awaken frequently. Over-the-counter meds such as Excedrin pm all have benedril in them and also disrupt the SA. Benzodiazapines such as xanax, ativan and klonopin enhance gaba, a natural tranquilizer in the brain and can help one to fall asleep, but frequent use can change SA in a negative way. Occassional use is okay. The meds I mentioned above are approved for chronic insomnia and even long term use. There are also some good sleep hygeine tips that you can find on the internet. Google insomnia/sleep hygeine. Also, google sleep architecture or sleep cyles In my practice I treat chronic insomnia very seriously because of the way it disrupts quality of life. I hope you wil to. Talk to your doctor and be open and insistant that he help you.