If you have bipolar illness, one of the things you’re probably very familiar with is insomnia. When one is manic, one often has trouble sleeping.

There’s nothing worse than lying there all night long trying so desperately to get to sleep. It’s one of the most boring things on the earth.

For my sleeplessness, I’ve taken medication. I used to take Trazodone. This helped a little. I’ve also listened to ocean waves and rain on meditation tapes to relax me. I’ve tried exercise before bed. Camomile tea.

But my best remedy is QVC.

When I really can’t sleep due to mania, I sneak out of our bedroom and go into the living room. I turn on the television and tune into QVC – the home shopping network. There’s something about the super long descriptions of the products such as fine jewelry, women’s clothing, electronics and shoes that really puts me out. The only problem is that I wake up on the couch in the morning, but at least I wake up from a night of sleep.

QVC is the best sleeping “med” on the market. Ironically, the descriptions they give of the products are not boring. They’re detailed and interesting. The copy is very well written, and this gets me into the show. Soon, I’m into it, and then, I begin to doze. Sleepiness seeps in.

During your next bout of mania and sleeplessness, turn on QVC.

It might help.