are you one of the many who lie awake at night listening to anything that makes the slightest noise? Or are you aroused from sleep in the middle of the night only to spend the rest of it tossing and turning? Insomnia is one of the most common yet most misunderstood problems for which otherwise healthy and normal people seek professional help. Conventional medicine, however, is of limited help: the typical sufferer will be prescribed some from of medication that is effective in the short term, but invariably wears off, leaving the insomniac back where he or she started---desperate for a good night's sleep. In recent years, in an offort to remove the cloud of mystery surrounding insomnai, researchers have invited insomniacs to volunteer in treatment programs so that their sleep patterns and behavior can be studied.