I have always had trouble sleeping. When I was younger, I would stare at the moon, count cats (not sheep – I was too original for that) and sometimes even pace around my room until I was just too tired to stand up anymore. As I counted how many hours of sleep I would get that night, my mind would race and so would my heart.

As a kid, I was able to function on less sleep. The boundless energy of being a preteen fueled me through hours of school and my after-school activity, ballet. But as soon as high school hit, I was in trouble. I never understood why my friends could complete their homework, hop into bed and be asleep by 11 p.m. or midnight. Meanwhile, I was left sitting in my room, the entire neighborhood silent and asleep, until 3 or 4 a.m., when exhaustion would finally kick in.

I’ve never been formally diagnosed with insomnia and I never considered my sleeping habits were unusual until I realized that I would stay awake long after my freshman year roommates had fallen asleep. I felt like I hadn’t slept at all when I woke up and found myself awake at odd, early hours – all symptoms of insomnia.

I’m reluctant to take sleeping pills because they can cause some pretty terrible side effects – including aneurysms and psychological dependence – but I’ve tried natural remedies and lifestyle changes to curb my symptoms.

Using essential oils

I understand the skepticism surrounding holistic healing because so-called “natural remedies” are often rooted in pseudoscience. But a 2013 study found that essential oils like lavender can improve sleep quality and depression symptoms in adults, according to the National Institutes of Health. After buying the oil to test it out, I found that dabbing it on my wrists and neck calmed me before bed. One night, I even conked out before midnight.

Changing my diet

I’m a pretty healthy eater, but after becoming fed up with my insomnia last summer, I wondered if the food I ate correlated with my sleep troubles. Unfortunately, what I found was disappointing me: foods like coffee (an essential part of my daily life), sugar (even natural ones like honey) and processed carbs not only worsened my sleep quality, but made me feel on edge and stressed. That’s not to say all carbs are out, as a 2016 study published in the National Institutes of Health found that low-carb diets are associated with poor sleep patterns. But after incorporating more protein and healthy fats into my diet, I slept more deeply and could function on fewer hours of sleep without feeling tired.

Ditching the technology

Remember being told as a teenager to get off your phone right before bed? Your parents might have been onto something. According to a 2017 Harvard Health Letter, the artificial blue light emitted by your favorite technology can interrupt circadian rhythm and melatonin production, two things crucial for quality sleep. Instead of scrolling through social media before bed, I try to shut down my computer and turn off my phone, or at least use Apple’s new Night Shift feature, which changes your phone’s display to a warmer color before bed.

Insomnia isn’t a simple disorder, and there’s not really a catch-all cure, but with my arsenal of tools, I’ve been able to mitigate its effects – it’s just a matter of finding your own toolset.