Having been a lifelong imsoniac, and having tried EVERYTHING under the sun, the best pill I ever took was Ambien. 10 mgs. Did the trick. Went out like a light.

My insurance didn't cover it and I could no longer afford it. I was given samples of Lunesta. Did absolutely nothing.

Then I discovered the magic powers of xanax (without really knowing what the heck I was doing).

I took the generic version, Alprazolam. I began taking 1 and one half mgs of xanax to sleep every night. Worked like a charm. My whole body just relaxed and I drifted off to sleep. Now I have lots of stuff going on in my mind so I needed this break.

But after almost 2 years of this, I read where it's not good to take xanax to sleep. That it's better to take a sleep aid. I really did not know the difference. How clueless of me.

I have had memory problems over this.

So I decided to wean myself off. Not the most intelligent thing I ever did. But I am now stable at 1 mg. Not lowering it any more.

But it's nothing like when I was on the 1 1/2 mg of the stuff.

I could take 1 mg at 11 p.m. and be wide awake till 12:30 a.m. . I have no idea why this is.

And if, god forbid a bird sings at 6:30 a.m. , I'm wide awake.

Sometimes if it's quiet, I'll sleep till 9 like I did this morning.

Some nights the sleep cycle is not good. Sometimes it is.

Maybe my body is not liking the 1 mg of the alprazolam and wants more. I'm not taking any more.

I want to be drug free. I want my mental faculties sharp.

I've noticed a difference in my memory already. When I try to remember something and I get it, well I GET IT!!!

But I shudder to think what's going to happen when I am off the alprazolam for good. I'll probably never sleep again.

Oh well.

I did this all my life.