Ira Glass

The man later told researchers that in this dream, he's fighting off snakes. And in this kind of grainy nighttime footage, you can see him swat away snakes with his arms. He kicks at one with his foot. The metal sound you're hearing is the bed frame. Finally, he picks up a pillow like it's a rock and beats one away. There's something completely naked about this footage.

It's very strange to watch another person at a moment when they are so totally vulnerable and alone and terrified. Welcome to WBEZ Chicago. It's This American Life. I'm Ira Glass. Today on our show, fear of sleep. We have five stories of people who either have a huge fear of sleep or, frankly, they should have a huge fear of sleep. Act one, stranger in the night. Act two, sleep's tiniest enemies.

It's very strange to watch another person at a moment when they are so totally vulnerable and alone and terrified. Welcome to WBEZ Chicago. It's This American Life. I'm Ira Glass. Today on our show, fear of sleep. We have five stories of people who either have a huge fear of sleep or, frankly, they should have a huge fear of sleep. Act one, stranger in the night. Act two, sleep's tiniest enemies.

Act three, the bitter fruits of wakefulness. Act four, Hollywood-induced nightmare. Act five, a small taste of the big sleep. Stay with us.

Act three, the bitter fruits of wakefulness. Act four, Hollywood-induced nightmare. Act five, a small taste of the big sleep. Stay with us.

It's American Life. Today's show is a rerun, act one, Stranger in the Night. There's a poem by Raymond Carver that goes, I woke up with a spot of blood over my eye, a scratch halfway across my forehead. But I'm sleeping alone these days. Why on earth would a man raise his hand against himself, even in sleep?

It's American Life. Today's show is a rerun, act one, Stranger in the Night. There's a poem by Raymond Carver that goes, I woke up with a spot of blood over my eye, a scratch halfway across my forehead. But I'm sleeping alone these days. Why on earth would a man raise his hand against himself, even in sleep?

It's this and similar questions I'm trying to answer this morning as I steady my face in the window. Well, that is probably about as good an introduction as you could get for this first story. From Mike Brubiglia, he told it in front of a live audience at The Moth in New York.

It's this and similar questions I'm trying to answer this morning as I steady my face in the window. Well, that is probably about as good an introduction as you could get for this first story. From Mike Brubiglia, he told it in front of a live audience at The Moth in New York.

Mike Berbiglia, he was recorded at The Moth, which of course has a podcast and a public radio show, their website, themoth.org. Years ago, Mike wrote and directed and starred in a movie based on the true story that you just heard. It's a comedy called Sleepwalk With Me. This American Life and WBEZ produced the film. I was one of the co-writers with Mike.

Mike Berbiglia, he was recorded at The Moth, which of course has a podcast and a public radio show, their website, themoth.org. Years ago, Mike wrote and directed and starred in a movie based on the true story that you just heard. It's a comedy called Sleepwalk With Me. This American Life and WBEZ produced the film. I was one of the co-writers with Mike.

Carol Kane and Lauren Ambrose are in the cast. You can find it on Prime Video, Apple TV, and many other streaming services. I totally recommend it. It's funny. If you have a sleep disorder of the kind that we've been talking about so far today, there's very effective treatment. See a doctor, okay? There's a little pill called Conipin, like Rabiglia said.

Carol Kane and Lauren Ambrose are in the cast. You can find it on Prime Video, Apple TV, and many other streaming services. I totally recommend it. It's funny. If you have a sleep disorder of the kind that we've been talking about so far today, there's very effective treatment. See a doctor, okay? There's a little pill called Conipin, like Rabiglia said.

The DVD that Dr. Carlos Schenck made explaining sleep disorders that we heard earlier in the top of the show is called Sleep Runners. Dr. Schenck also has this beautifully put together book about all this called Paradox Lost.

The DVD that Dr. Carlos Schenck made explaining sleep disorders that we heard earlier in the top of the show is called Sleep Runners. Dr. Schenck also has this beautifully put together book about all this called Paradox Lost.

Fact two, sleep's tiniest enemies. We now turn to people who battle at night, but not with their own dreams. These people battle critters, living creatures of the night. One of the producers of our show, Nancy Updike, has been looking into this.

Fact two, sleep's tiniest enemies. We now turn to people who battle at night, but not with their own dreams. These people battle critters, living creatures of the night. One of the producers of our show, Nancy Updike, has been looking into this.

And he showed it to you. It was a roach.

And he showed it to you. It was a roach.

How big was it?