I'm another chronic insomniac. There seem to be a lot of us here. Unlike Jilli I'm not usually up until 3 or 4, my body goes the other way around. I used to lie awake for an hour or more before falling asleep, and then I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night, 2 or 3 or 4 am, and just lie in bed for hours, not falling back asleep.

Problem is I am scared of taking something that might make me too dopey if one of the kids has an emergency in the middle of the night. So I just take melatonin--which at least has taken care of the not falling asleep when I go bed part of the equation. And then I usually wear a sleep mask so that the early morning light doesn't contribute to keeping me awake. I feel like my insomnia is pretty under control right now.

How did I not know that Bradley Cooper was a fellow Hoya?

I have nothing but sypathy for all the insomnia sufferers. Sleep is what keeps me sane. I'm like a toddler - grumpy, take a nap. Hungry, take a nap. Unless there's any tiny chink of light I usually fall asleep in five minutes or so. If there's light I can't sleep at all. Thusly, I usually sleep with a t-shirt over my face.

ita, please tell me to bugger off for my unsolicited medical suggestion, but have you been MRI'd for Chiari malformations? I was reading an article the other day about a woman who had the malormation and didn't know about it, then she had a fall which moved it slightly so it was putting pressure on her brain/spine which led to ten years of chronic migraines before someone figured it out. Apparently you need to do a sideways MRI for them to show up, or something.

I had chronic insomnia from around age 8 until I started taking antidepressants when I was 40. ADs knocked me out like a brick to the head every night, all night. My favorite side effect ever. When I went off them last spring I was worried that my insomnia would come back, but by and large it hasn't. There've been a couple of nights, but no where near what it use to be. Maybe the ADs helped me retrain my sleep habits or something.

That's a very nice side-effect!

Effexor (which I took for a while in the '90s) had the side-effect of making me frisky. Which was great because I'd had a real problem being up for much in my first relationship. My second relationship had much better sex due to the Effexor. Which is funny because a usual complaint about ADs is that they depress your sex drive.

It seems sadly on topic to announce that I am awake, and seem to be staying that way.

Brad Cooper, otoh, I mostly knew as "that guy S has a completely ridiculous thing for and says she sometimes sleeps with him when he and his gf are broken up but we don't believe her, and make fun of him for his gay gay Versace pants"

Ha! So the gossip about him has been consistent, anyway...

You people made me wake up in the night. I do not appreciate that. OK maybe it wasn't actually your fault.

I was reading an article the other day about a woman who had the malormation and didn't know about it, then she had a fall which moved it slightly so it was putting pressure on her brain/spine which led to ten years of chronic migraines before someone figured it out. Apparently you need to do a sideways MRI for them to show up, or something.

Are you sure you weren't watching Private Practice??? (I think that was the issue last week.)

Aw, Perkins, it's so early. I'm sorry.

I don't have insomnia unless I'm really really super-stressed about something, but I do have a big problem with restless legs. I've convinced myself (placebo effect?) that three ibuprofen before bed helps, and I usually supplement with some, um, herbal substances, too. Which has been working for a while now.

I used to be in tears with the restless legs, because I *don't* have trouble falling asleep, and they would wake me up repeatedly, needing to move or change position. One night a few years ago it was three, I think, and I just sat on the edge of the bed and cried.

Are you sure you weren't watching Private Practice??? (I think that was the issue last week.)

Weird! Nope, have never watched it. I think it was an aticle in the Observer on Sunday. Maybe it will be the new lupus. Countdown to a House episode starts now.

Aw Perkins, i'm sorry you are awake. I am too but it's a little after my usual wake up time. Why am I tired all the time again?