When to Go to Sleep Tonight

Countless Americans will no doubt spend the evening glued to their TV sets, counting the votes that come in and watching the national news make fools of themselves with awkward predictions.

Sleep is precious, however, so how do you know when to call it a night because the election is more or less "over?" Here are some tips.

1. If Obama wins Ohio or Florida with their 20 and 27 electoral college votes, you might as well go to bed. These are two huge contested states that have been the deciding factor in the last two elections. It would be quite hard for McCain to make these up.

2. If Missouri picks its winner, consider the election mostly over. Although worth only 11 votes, Missouri has picked the winner of every presidential election for 100 years, excluding 1956 when it was taken over by rabid dogs (that may or may not be true.)

3. If McCain wins Pennsylvania, then stay up for a while. It's a big state, and the kids over there haven't been thrilled with some remarks by Obama and John Murtha describing it as a "racist state." Can't say I blame them.

4. The later the polls close, the later you have to stay up. It's just a fact. McCain could lose any of the following states and still be in the running, but it will be close: Virginia (13 EC votes), Georgia (15), North Carolina (15), Colorado (nine) or Nevada (five)

5. If it looks like Obama is winning the big players, go to bed. Just don't be surprised if you wake up in the morning and find out we still have no idea. It's happened before.