Crime or sleep?

I am a crime show/movie/book/article junkie.

There. I wrote it.

I also haven't slept well since about October, and it's starting to be a problem.

I've tried melatonin, Ambien and now Lunesta. Some help, not much.

My friend Laura made a startling suggestion yesterday: Give up my crime shows/movies/books/articles for awhile and see if I don't start sleeping again. It worked for her.

What?!? Give up my NCIS, my Dirty Harry, my First 48? My Erik Larson and Jack the Ripper? My Crime Library? Oh, not my Criminal Minds! And geez, it's the 50th anniversary of the Clutter family murders in November, you can't expect me not to be glued to In Cold Blood (hey...maybe they'll show the American Justice episode!).

But having just seen the doctor and professing to be desperate for sleep, I am, in fact, going on a cold turkey detox program starting this weekend. I'm finishing the Dirty Harry movies (three to go!) and will be allowed to watch Harper's Island until it concludes in July, and because Kenneth Branagh is a SERIOUS actor I will be allowed to watch the third episode of Wallander.

My sponsor -- I mean husband -- will monitor me. I like him pretty well because he says I can still watch Ghost Hunters. ;o) I have to delete all my crime show timers from the DVR and get rid of the episodes already recorded.

Laura, you'd better be right!