High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! "Sleepless" is the 4th episode of the second season, and 28th overall of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on October 7, 1994. "Sleepless" subsequently aired in the United Kingdom, Ireland and was eventually released for broadcast to mainland Europe. The episode was written by supervising producer Howard Gordon, and directed by Rob Bowman. "Sleepless" featured what would become the recurring character of Alex Krycek, portrayed by Nicholas Lea.