Wow - a lot of people with sleep problems here...

I was having sleep problems (if you can call four years of insomnia "sleep problems") up until about five months ago, then, apparently, it was cured.

For ten nights in a row I took a large dose (1.0mg) of Alprazolam (Xanax) - .25mg is a pretty standard dose for Xanax, if you want to be functional. .5mg puts you in LaLa land. 1.0mg knocks you out real quick and for a pretty long time. (If your physician doubts the wisdom of this regimen, tell him/her to compare the pharmacology of Xanax and Dalmane.)

The purpose of this was to reset my internal time clock, so, just like with our plants, it's important to go to bed and arise at the same time everyday - and no naps!!!

After ten days, I started sleeping really well without any drugs. Ten days on Xanax isn't enough to get you jones'd, so there weren't any unpleasant side effects when I quit taking the drug.

If you're into more natural treatments, I found a kick-ass Valerian extract (125mg). It's called "Valmane" by Solvay Pharma. I bought mine in Greece, I have no idea if it is available in North America.

Life is so much better with sleep!