Dear Mark Steiner: For about a year, I took that nasty old Permax! It was like doing speed for me-my husband called that time in our lives The Graveyard Shift. When I got the kids to bed & hubby to bed-that's when I became (da-da-da!): Compulso Writer! I wrote stories and letters and essays to friends, new & old, to everyone else who I could think of! Trouble was, that's when my handwriting went in the toilet. After writing page after page of unreadable stuff (does anyone remember "The Shining"?), I would collapse just about daybreak-only to zone out for a couple of hours; my kids had to see me like that as they got themselves ready for school. I was totally useless until I got that 4th permax in me-then the cycle began all over again. I finally begged my Dr. to take me off them. Now I take Ambien (5mg. 1 at bedtime; another if I wake up & can't get back to sleep) and I swear by it. We had tried several different sleeping aids in the meantime and when I finally tried Ambien, I nearly wept for joy. It gave me about 5 to 6 hours of sleep & the best part is: I got my dreams back. I had quit dreaming & it surely affected my personality. This is my story-maybe it can help you! See your doc & try to get off the permax-if you can. Sweet dreams, -- --- Joan Snyder (47/8) "Do or do not. There is no try."Yoda [log in to unmask] htt://www.newcountry.nu/pd/members/page1.htm