I'm having problems sleeping

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Sleep and I have never really been the best of friends. I've had trouble sleeping for a long time, and nothing is working to make things better for me. I have a hard time getting comfortable in bed, even with the most comfortable mattress I still feel uncomfortable, my skin is so sensitive. I also feel sick when I lie down and when I wake up I have a really bad taste in my mouth and throat. It takes until about 11pm or later for me to fall asleep, and when I do fall asleep I don't sleep well and I have nightmares. When I wake up in the morning I still feel really tired and it's as if my eyes are awake but my body is asleep. I try to go back to sleep but I can't, so all I can do is just lie there for an hour which I really don't enjoy. Sometimes I have days where I'm awake and feel tired, but when I get into my bed and try to sleep, I don't feel tired any more. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep again, so I try to find things to do but I'm always worried I'll wake up my family if I get up plus I have a fear of the dark and don't like to walk around in my bedroom when it's dark. I've been on sleeping pills for about a year now and still they do very little to improve the quality of my sleep

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The bad taste in your mouth & throat could be due to acid reflux. I had that sense I was little till I got diagnosed with GERD & got medication for it. I take Pepcid before each meal.

Sleep is something I have had to work on. Some quick notes about what I do that are somewhat relevant to what you mention:

- avoid caffeine after lunch, and avoid eating for an hour or two before bed,
- an hour before bed turn down the lighting and avoid exciting stuff like dramatic TV, gaming, loud music,
- I can have bad dreams if I get too warm while sleeping (especially my feet),
- bad taste in mouth/throat can be reflux so I sleep slightly elevated,
- listening to a mildly interesting (but not exciting) book on tape helps keep my mind from wandering into anxiety,
- if I awaken during the night I turn the book tape back on and, if helpful, don an eye mask.

Exercise helps me a lot, I find a little gentle cycling everyday improves the quality of my sleep, I drift off easier and I'm less likely to wake in the night.

Everything Marky said is worth doing too (except for the audio book in my case, it has to be silence for me or it won't happen), might also be worth avoiding foods that cause you to reflux after lunch too.

If all else fails, a bong and a w*k works sometimes

Thank you all!