I get quite frequent insomnia that can last between 4-48 hours after I've initially tried to fall asleep. Could be a sleep disorder or something at this rate and I need to get examined for that.
However, I've found passionflower to be very effective for me personally. Some people smoke it, but I'm assuming you want your lungs, so mix it into a tea. I've tried melatonin to no real luck. I find this flower to work nicely. Doesn't have that chemical sleep that nyquil gives (waking up too tired to move or speak after sleeping for 10+ hours) but doesn't give the same dull fogginess you might get from codeine Tylonol. Not that you'd take any of these meds for insomnia, but just as a scale you can measure. Only problem is that the compounds in passionflower are a little unstable in digestion so if you consistently take the stuff you could end up getting some upset stomach. You may also find that you wake up feeling too comfortable in bed to get out for awhile...
Keep in mind though, it might be a flower, but it's also got 'drugs' in it. But hey, it probably wouldn't be the only food/drink you consume that day containing a mild mind-altering substance of sorts, you'd be surprised. It really depends where you draw your line between "drug" and "something I'd probably be eating if I had to gather food that grew around me". So that's my advice, do with it what you want. It's not habit forming, and it does work, if you don't feel weird taking something, I'd say it would be your best for chemical assistance without creating conditions in your system that would never be achieved without human manipulation. Just don't use it as a crutch.
As for getting through your day. I just can't sleep and don't slow down enough to really feel tired ever until I really just can't stay awake even if I was trying to force it so I don't have that problem like you do. Granted there have been times when it's suddenly hit me in the middle of class or while I've been going somewhere to do something I needed to do that day. Breath deep, full breaths. Use your entire lung capacity. Breath in through your nose, out through your mouth, deep, slow, and comfortably. Your body's used to functioning on a fraction of your potential oxygen intake by default. By increasing your oxygen levels, you can temporarily sharpen your state of mind and repress the urge to sleep then and there.
Casinos are sometimes known to pump additional oxygen into the air on their gaming floors. They do this so gamblers wont feel fatigued and will hopefully spend more hours awake playing their tables.
It should help you gain a little foccus, but nothing substitutes sleeping.
One interesting thing I'd like to mention though is hypnosis files. No, I'm not saying they work. In my experience, they've been good motivation at best for their intended purposes. However, hypnotists often record these files with a filter to modify the sound so the waves reflect the activity in your brain to help your brain foccus on the audio without having to concentrate on it heavily. Start by following every single word on the file as closely as you can, repeat it in your head if you have to. Visualize it if it helps. Keep your eyes closed, make yourself comfortable, and just foccus on following everything you hear. I never quit smoking this way, but I found a really good method of phasing myself into the early stages of sleep. Just let yourself slide into the voice until you suddenly just stop paying attention to what you're hearing and you've started to forget about physical sensations.
It's a good head start to getting into the actual sleep stages.
However, I've found passionflower to be very effective for me personally. Some people smoke it, but I'm assuming you want your lungs, so mix it into a tea. I've tried melatonin to no real luck. I find this flower to work nicely. Doesn't have that chemical sleep that nyquil gives (waking up too tired to move or speak after sleeping for 10+ hours) but doesn't give the same dull fogginess you might get from codeine Tylonol. Not that you'd take any of these meds for insomnia, but just as a scale you can measure. Only problem is that the compounds in passionflower are a little unstable in digestion so if you consistently take the stuff you could end up getting some upset stomach. You may also find that you wake up feeling too comfortable in bed to get out for awhile...
Keep in mind though, it might be a flower, but it's also got 'drugs' in it. But hey, it probably wouldn't be the only food/drink you consume that day containing a mild mind-altering substance of sorts, you'd be surprised. It really depends where you draw your line between "drug" and "something I'd probably be eating if I had to gather food that grew around me". So that's my advice, do with it what you want. It's not habit forming, and it does work, if you don't feel weird taking something, I'd say it would be your best for chemical assistance without creating conditions in your system that would never be achieved without human manipulation. Just don't use it as a crutch.
As for getting through your day. I just can't sleep and don't slow down enough to really feel tired ever until I really just can't stay awake even if I was trying to force it so I don't have that problem like you do. Granted there have been times when it's suddenly hit me in the middle of class or while I've been going somewhere to do something I needed to do that day. Breath deep, full breaths. Use your entire lung capacity. Breath in through your nose, out through your mouth, deep, slow, and comfortably. Your body's used to functioning on a fraction of your potential oxygen intake by default. By increasing your oxygen levels, you can temporarily sharpen your state of mind and repress the urge to sleep then and there.
Casinos are sometimes known to pump additional oxygen into the air on their gaming floors. They do this so gamblers wont feel fatigued and will hopefully spend more hours awake playing their tables.
It should help you gain a little foccus, but nothing substitutes sleeping.
One interesting thing I'd like to mention though is hypnosis files. No, I'm not saying they work. In my experience, they've been good motivation at best for their intended purposes. However, hypnotists often record these files with a filter to modify the sound so the waves reflect the activity in your brain to help your brain foccus on the audio without having to concentrate on it heavily. Start by following every single word on the file as closely as you can, repeat it in your head if you have to. Visualize it if it helps. Keep your eyes closed, make yourself comfortable, and just foccus on following everything you hear. I never quit smoking this way, but I found a really good method of phasing myself into the early stages of sleep. Just let yourself slide into the voice until you suddenly just stop paying attention to what you're hearing and you've started to forget about physical sensations.
It's a good head start to getting into the actual sleep stages.