Wide awake in the middle of the night? You're not alone. It's estimated a third of Americans suffer from some type of insomnia.

"I wake up and I can't go back to sleep," insomnia sufferer Cecilie Bjornestad said.

"Toss and turn and watch the clock, sometimes at three in the morning, two in the morning," Steven Ford, who also suffers from insomnia, said.

Dr. David Shulman says insomnia may be a common condition, but it's not normal if a patient complains about it lasting more than a month or two.

"These folks are walking zombies, they're out there with four or five hours of sleep a night."

Before prescribing medication, Schulman recommends trying a number of things to regain control of your sleep cycle.

"No caffeine within eight hours of bedtime, no food or exercise within three hours of bedtime, do not stay in bed more than 30 minutes at a time, relaxing activities in the evening, don't watch TV or use the computer directly before bedtime."

Schulman also cautions patients to cut back on alcohol intake. If those steps don't work, he adds it may be time to see a sleep specialist.