Hello, no, not everyone here is bipolar, but we all share sleep problems! It can be very very difficult to shut your mind off at the end of the day. If shadows distract or frighten you, nothing wrong with leaving the tv or a light on. Does that seem to help? Could it be that the bad dreams are making you reluctant to fall asleep as well? Sometimes it helps me to concentrate really hard on what I want to dream about. I lay in bed and imagine wonderful, beautiful dreams I might be having as I try to go to sleep. This doesn't always work, but sometimes it does, and sometimes is better than never! Thank you for sharing with us.