So much for counting sheep when he cannot sleep, or for trying meditative readings.

Those salves might work for others who toss and turn at night, but not for George Dawes Green. The author has a rare sleep disorder that affects less than 2% of the population, experts say. His sleep schedule evolves, turning day into night and night into day.

Oddly enough, Dawes takes solace in writing psychological thrillers, page-turners enriched by flawed and vulnerable souls who, like himself, he says, are captive to spells they both loathe and enjoy. In his third novel, Ravens (Grand Central Publishing, $24.99), out today, winning a $318 million lottery turns out to be a family's nightmare.

"That's the way life is," Dawes says. "We are all captives. No one is happy about the IRS and all the laws we have to follow, but there are authorities that tell us what to do, and we find it a good idea to listen."

What he found a good idea to obey is his disorder, called non-24-hour sleep-wake syndrome, or hypernychthemeral. He tried to fight it as a child and young adult, but not now. He goes with it.