Alex is not sleeping, though it takes him eight nights of insomnia to admit that it is an issue. He becomes desperate enough to accept Skippy spending a night in his room, though once Skippy inadvertently blurts out Alex's struggles to the rest of his family, his insomnia begins to affect the rest of the house.
Examples:
- Exhausted Eye Bags: Alex sports these for most of the episode.
- Insomnia Episode: The whole plot revolves around Alex's desperation to sleep and how it begins to affect his family.
- Lap Pillow: Alex finally falls asleep while listening to the Three Little Pigs story in Elyse's arms. Played for Laughs as Alex shifts positions and traps Elyse in the bed, therefore keeping her awake.
- Pajama-Clad Hero: Alex and the rest of the Keatons spend most of the episode in sleepwear, for obvious reasons.
- Percussive Maintenance: Steven's attempt to install a smoke alarm means it goes off whenever a door is slammed, be it back or fridge door. By halfway through the episode they've come up with a rotating schedule to smack the alarm to make it stop beeping.
- Scooby Stack: Steven, Elyse, Jennifer and Mallory form one while checking to see if Alex has fallen asleep.
- What Have I Become?: When he reaches the peak of his insomnia crisis, Alex stresses over what it's turning him into. His cries of despair inadvertently wake the rest of the family.
