I had been having trouble sleeping, often waking in the middle of the night, and Tuesday night was no exception. When the doctor I saw Wednesday said the medicine he wanted to put me on might make me tired, I thought, “Excellent.”

Bwahahahaha! Be careful what you wish for.

I woke up around 2 a.m. and could not get back to sleep. The cruel reality struck me: I was tired, but not sleepy.

That afternoon, I examined the list of possible side effects. They included insomnia, tiredness and sleepiness. I was two for three.

Things remained that way for two more nights. Finally, Sunday morning I slept until 5 a.m. That’s not to say I didn’t wake any beforehand, but it wasn’t until 5 a.m. that I was pretty well awake. Still, I managed to doze a bit even after that.

Hopes for an alert day were dashed soon after breakfast. An afternoon nap was a necessity. By 9 p.m., I was tired again.

But not yet sleepy.