I have melatonin, valerian and magnesium on hand and they sometimes help me with reaching that drowsy phase so I can fall asleep. If nothing else is working and I'm still awake after midnight, my fail safe of late has been a trip to the 24 hr gym for a 20 minute swim. It's almost certain that I'll fall right to sleep once I get home and back in bed.

Finally watched Mad Men tonight. After I was accidentally spoiled for the big twist, yes, but still enjoyable.

I'm jealous of people who go straight to sleep. I can't do that without drugs. Sometimes I'll fall asleep on my own after an hour or so, or I'll stay awake half the night staring at the ceiling.

I used to be able to fall asleep within minutes (or less) of my head hitting the pillow. And I read somewhere that that's a sign of a chronic sleep deficit, but since I had been that way my entire life, I think that maybe it *might* be a sign of a chronic sleep deficit for *some* people, *some* of the time, but not always.

Now I need drugs to fall asleep. I wish I could regain the beautiful sleep of my pre-30s life. I would fall asleep quickly, if I woke up it was just to pee (and I would make my way to the bathroom and back in a barely-awake haze), and then sleep soundly until maybe 3 minutes before my alarm, when I would awaken refreshed.

No, seriously. Every goddamn night.

Now it's a mockery involving drugs and bug-eyed resentful staring at the clock at 3:57 a.m., and being bludgeoned awake by the alarm.

Bah.

Have you heard or read Mike Birbiglia, Lisa?

Is that the sleepwalking guy who, like, jumped out a window and stuff?

Oh! I've heard of him but I'm not sure I've heard him talk about that.

Listen to him on the rerun This American Life from last week. But don't listen to the part about bugs, or you'll never sleep again.

Is that the sleepwalking guy who, like, jumped out a window and stuff?

Yep. Our own (former) Rio called his book "sadlarious," which sounds about right.

I'm jealous of people who go straight to sleep. I can't do that without drugs. Sometimes I'll fall asleep on my own after an hour or so, or I'll stay awake half the night staring at the ceiling.

I've had some form of insomnia all my life; there has always been at least two nights a week (and never the same two) where I would be wide awake until 3 or 4 AM. It's just gotten worse as I've gotten older.

When I visited my brother in September, I found that one glass of Wild Turkey put me to sleep like magic. I just really don't see that as a healthy every-night option, y'know?

When I visited my brother in September, I found that one glass of Wild Turkey put me to sleep like magic. I just really don't see that as a healthy every-night option, y'know?

How big a glass? Because really, I don't see that as any worse than .5mg of Ambien or something.

then sleep soundly until maybe 3 minutes before my alarm, when I would awaken refreshed.

Oh, god, that used to be me. Now, with the trazadone I've been actively and OOCly mad at the alarm clock every morning. Even with the Ambien, that never happened (I would wake up before it, or wake up cleanly). And before the sleep disorder, I would fall asleep in under 30 minutes, and always be up shortly before the alarm. Good god, I miss those days.

Today I realised that "taking meds at 6" means that on school nights I can have no life. Hell, today it was just a messy ride home and I slid in at 6. And that was with working what doesn't even count as a late night.

But don't listen to the part about bugs, or you'll never sleep again.

Especially if you live where lisah and I do. But I did, and have been able to write it off as "not that corner of the city!" Which is kinda the happy-with-neighborhood Baltimoron's mantra. Like in my old apartment, we apparently had a bad mouse problem. Me, with the 1-3 cats, did not. OH! I don't know if I mentioned it here, but turns out, my old apartment? In the last huge storm, roof pretty much failed and flooded. Top floor. Flooded. I was starting to see leaks when I left (roof was only 6 years old or so) and they weren't doing shit. SO GLAD I have a mortgage. And a new roof.