I feel your struggle. I was having some of the same issues. I solved them in the same way you did. I have ear plugs because any noise that is irregular in nature will prevent me from sleeping. I love the sound of the bugs and frogs but it's the twigs falling, wind rustles, drips from condensation, acorns falling coyotes and dogs barking etc that I can't sleep through. Ear plugs have solved that for me.

I also found that my mind is unable to really shut down in the woods for some reason. I usually have to plow through a day or two of total exhaustion and a couple hours of sleep here and there before I finally collapse to a good nights sleep on the last day of a hike. For that I brought some Simply Sleep tablets and took them an hour or so before I planned to turn in. My last trip out I finally slept well from beginning to end (with a potty break) and I woke up feeling rested and without the aches and pains of ground sleeping.

I finally feel comfortable with my hammock. With it and the Exped DownMat I had two great nights of sleep and I woke on the second day comfy, warm and got to watch the sunrise onto the river. It was great!

My last item to try and solve is my snoring. When I'm on my back I snore so badly that I actually cause my throat to swell and it's painful in the morning. I may get one of those mouthguard type deals to hold my jaw up at night as that seems to be what triggers it. I guess anyone who camps with me nearby will need earplugs too!

Glad you got your issues solved!