Here are my answers to your Q's!

-How many hours do you sleep a night?4-5 max
-Is this enough? not usually
-How many of you suffer with insomnia? I have suffered most of my life with it
-Have you ever tried sleeping pills/aides before? Yes, I have tried numerous ones, including Ambien, but had to stop taking it because I was doing, saying and eating things and not remembering what I did!!! Now I am on Vistaril....it sorta works.
-If you can't/won't take them how does your not sleeping interfere with your life? When I am not taking anything I become super sleepy on the job and then at night I can't sleep again. It makes me SUPER cranky, lethargic and just not willing to do much of anything.
-Does this insomnia make you manic? Sometimes
-How do you deal with not sleeping? I nap whenever my bosy and mind allows it...if it does
-Do you hold a job...have to get places the next day? Yes, I work a full time job, but after many many days of not sleeping I usually have to call in sick because I start to really feel sick from lack of sleep.
-Has any one successfully tapered off a sleeping pill and how are you sleeping now? I stopped taking them for about a year and my sleep was completely screwed up, thus making me miserable to live with. I had to get back on sleeping pills so that I could really start caring about things and wanting to work on my issues.

I hope this helps some....

BJ