For the last few months, i've been switching bp medications due to side effects --prinivil gave me heart palpitations; amlodopine caused severe insomnia. and now valsartan is causing insomnia too. any advice on how to deal with this? switch again?

Fluctuation in BP: If you are having side effects, it usually gets better with time. However I would recommend checking 24 hour blood pressure screen to make sure you do have hypertension. You can ask your primary for this.

Side effects: There are still a lot of other good options for you to control your blood pressure, luckily. I am concerned, however, that your insomnia may be caused by something other than BP medication.