I'm in love with Ambien, but my doctor wants us to break up. I concede that it's probably time. I've been using the prescription sleep aid, usually half (5mg) a pill, to squelch my sleep-onset insomnia for years. I've even slept with Ambien's colleagues, with mixed results: Sonata was too weak; Rozerem was perhaps too strong (I could barely keep my eyes open the following day); and Lunesta literally left a bad taste in my mouth. Over-the-counter supplements like melatonin and the ubiquitous Tylenol PM never impressed me either. Sure, Ambien works for me, but as many of us know, dependency can be a scary thing.

After much soul-searching, research and talking with doctors, I finally know what my problem is: my head's a mess. I lie down and want to sleep, but stress and anxiety -- about anything and everything, past, present and future -- create a swirling vortex of thoughts and chatter that seems to equate lights-out in my bedroom with "Showtime!"

A few behavioral changes have helped me to sleep better. I've learned to stop eating three hours before bed. (The thought and feeling of my digestive system churning overtime as I lie there is not only disgusting, it's counterproductive to falling asleep.) And I've realized that consistency with bed- and rise-times makes for healthy "sleep hygiene." To calm down the brain, however, is another matter. I've always liked to read before bed, but sometimes that just adds to the glut of information already in mind. So when the books are closed and the magazines are tossed on the floor, I just have to remember one thing: Breathe.

Since I am still a yoga beginner, Nadi Sodhana was news to me. Known as "alternate-nostril breathing," this exercise could not be simpler. Using your thumb, cover your left nostril while breathing in deeply through the right. Then move your thumb to close the right nostril and exhale through your left. Now inhale again through the left nostril, then close the right nostril and exhale again. Repeat this process for a minute or two. This exercise is not known to "cure" insomnia or induce sleepiness, but yogis believe it calms the mind and nervous system, and it also forces you to belly-breathe.

While the Nadi Sodhana exercise encourages deeper breaths, another exercise that could be helpful in clearing the mind has to do with slowing down your breathing. Let's call this one "The Threesome." (Why not, after that whole Ambien-love bit from earlier.) First, slowly inhale while counting off three seconds. Second, slowly exhale for three seconds. Third, pause for three seconds, then repeat. Continue this no-brainer for five minutes and, hopefully, anxiety will dissipate.

Neither of these exercises is an official insomnia remedy. They are, however, proven to calm people and busy brains down -- and in cases like mine, that's half the battle at night. A bonus of both exercises is that since they don't put you to sleep on their own, they can be used anytime you feel anxious or stressed out.

So unlike some loves, you can take these anywhere.