Combinations - Combatting stimulants at bedtime with OTCs

[greenpuddle]

I am a night owl. Once I am awake, I don't like going to bed, and once I am in bed, I don't like getting up.
Unfortunately, the majority of this crazy world seems to like starting things in the morning, and if you are the type who needs their eight hours, you've got to plan ahead.

Sometimes I make the mistake of consuming too much caffeine or some mild amphetamines too close to bedtime, and untreated, this results in a lot of missed or highly unpleasant morning classes (or in extreme cases, a lot of missed daylight!)

If I know that I absolutely cannot miss a night of sleep, I try a variety of things: usually alcohol (a few glasses of beer or wine), dimenhydrinate (motion-sickness pills), antihistamines of the sort found in allergy medication, and/or OTC muscle relaxants ("muscle & back pain relief").
I find that though these are all non-habit-forming and cause no side effects, they are of dubious reliability. Also, a lot of this stuff contains at least one standard dose of acetaminophen, and considering how much booze I drink, a desire to be nice to my liver generally keeps me from mixing them. I am a bit leery of actual sleeping pills, I've heard they can be habit forming and/or produce unpleasant side effects (eg hangovers).

Does anyone else have similar problems with poorly-planned stimulant use, advice for good OTC sleeping aids, and/or general advice or commiseration?