The Insomniac's Handbook

It's 3 a.m. and you can't sleep. You're frustrated. You're worried about being exhausted the next day. What do you do? The Insomniac's Handbook is here to help. This charming, whimsical collection of folk remedies, bedside rituals, lullabies, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction is designed to comfort and cure the unhappy insomniac by easing the transition from stressful days to restful nights.

The text first addresses the irritation of being awake while the rest of the world slumbers. Then, selections from well-known writers highlight the pleasures of the midnight hour and beyond. Once the reader begins to feel relaxed, the book offers homeopathic sleep aids, breathing techniques, tips, and recipes to help insomniacs feel drowsy. The final chapter provides soothing lullabies to send the reader peacefully off to dreamland.

Lushly illustrated with photographs by Ben Asen, this collection features contributions by Fran Lebowitz, Lord Byron, Gary Krist, Steven Wright, Stephen Dixon, John Milton, Woody Allen, Dorothy Parker, Alfred Tennyson, Van Morrison, and Richard and Robert Sherman.