Really need sleep advice, help would be appreciated

You see, my sleeping patterns are notorious for being random.
It can go one of four ways -- either I get a full night's sleep (which is rare), I wake up about a dozen times while I'm sleeping, I only sleep for only 2-5 hours and can't sleep anymore after that, or I don't sleep at all. When I do manage to get sleep, it's not restful at all. I'm usually groggy, plagued by migraines (which is another problem of mine), sore, and overall not feeling quite chipper like I should be.
I am a 17 year old female who has been diagnosed with insomnia, but I have not been given anything for it, just told that I should change my diet and exercise more -- which is what I'm essentially doing, but I'm seeing no improvements. Right now it's 5:09 AM, and I've been trying to sleep since 11 PM with no luck. I would gladly go and tell my psychologist this, but my parents pulled me out of therapy two years ago and I haven't seen her since. Haha.
The best thing I have right now is a melatonin supplement. Of course I would take it every night for the rest of my life if I could, but the thing about melatonin is that it's kind of not good for you in the long run. Unfortunately, I make myself go without it unless things get bad...kind of like today, but it's too late to take melatonin seeing as I'm going to work in a couple of hours.
Speaking of which, this wouldn't be as bad as a problem if I didn't have a job where I operate machinery. I just know that one of these days I'll be so tired I'll chop my hands off with the cardboard baler or something.
I just need SOMETHING for my insomnia every night, I don't care what it is, as long as it won't kill me and I get good, restful sleep for once. Relaxation techniques don't help.

If it helps at all, I get these spontaneous waves of hives (I'm not allergic to anything). They like to come up at night and prevent me from sleeping from all the pain and itching they cause, but they are NOT the root of my sleeping problems. I also have chronic migraines, as stated above, and I'm currently taking medication for it. I forget the name, and I don't really want to wake my parents up by getting the bottle, LOL. All I know is that it's original purpose is to lower blood pressure.
I suffer from bipolar disorder and anxiety attacks, too, although these were left untreated like my insomnia.

This has been happening since middle school since I was around 12 or 13, along with most of my other stuff, FYI.

chromatic,
So sorry to hear of your troubles. I am not aware of long term problems with melatonin. It is a naturally occurring hormone in humans. I took 3mg per night for 6 years until it became ineffective for me. I highly recommend it as a therapy. I have heard it will interact with birth control pills, but I can't find the exact type of interaction between the two.

If melatonin is working, maybe you could use a smaller dose and improve the effectiveness with chamomile tea. It is sold as Sleepy Time tea in most grocery stores. I found that chamomile helps a little and melatonin helps a little, but they reinforce each other to create a more intense effect than the sum of each.

I am very concerned about the untreated bipolar issue and anxiety attacks. The hives could be another expression of the anxiety attack. This sort of thing needs professional attention, and I am not a professional. I am an insomniac who has had modest success with various treatments, herbs, meditation, and a few others. I offer my experiences and my empathy. Bipolar is outside my personal experience, but I still offer my empathy.

try some tea
GaryM

GaryM,
Thanks for your concern, I appreciate it.
I have read on a health site (MayoClinic, to be exact, I believe it's a trustworthy site) that it is not recommended to take melatonin for longer than two years....but I suppose it depends on the person.
It also states that people taking blood pressure medications should use melatonin with caution, and I happen to be taking a blood pressure medication (which, by the way, I learned is called 'propranolol' -- a substitute for inderal). A couple of other sites have claimed this as well.
Of course, I should talk to a doctor or health professional to be certain. I guess I'm just super paranoid about medication, hahah! This isn't the only time I've intensely researched risks.
Obviously, I still use melatonin, but only once in a while when my sleeplessness gets REALLY bad. I could try the tea. I've heard claims from people that it calms the nerves and helps induce sleep. Maybe I could pick some up the next time I work.
Yes, I've always held the belief that my anxiety plays a big role in my insomnia (insomnia is after all a symptom and not a diagnosis!). My old psychologist told me as well that my hives are most likely brought on by intense stress or anxiety, which unfortunately I break out in hives so much I had to be prescribed a special medicine to apply to my skin to help ease the pain and itching.
I honestly wish I could acquire professional attention, but I had to beg and plead for months for my parents into making appointments for my migraines and hives alone, I doubt they'll take me to any mental health professionals any time soon. I will have to wait it out until I'm 18, it looks like.

**EDIT: Interestingly enough, I just found out that propranolol is also used for anxiety/panic disorders. Huh, who would've known.

chromatic,
I have a fairly extensive knowledge of herbals and especially those related to insomnia. The high blood pressure raises a big red flag for me. My mother suffers from high blood pressure, and it seems almost everything interacts with those medications. However, you seem to be adept at research, so I am going to recommend a couple of herbals for you to investigate. St. Johns Wort and Valerian Root are often recommended for mild depression and/or insomnia. It is very difficult to get information on interactions of herbals and prescription meds. The research is just not done.

If you would like to try the two mentioned, they are easily available at most stores that sell supplements. Even Walmart carries them, and it is fairly cheap.

good luck
GaryM

Whatever u said is true sleeping is very important