The Alternative to Sleep is an Irish

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

 radio show broadcast weeknights on RTÉ 2fm

RTÉ 2fm

RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.- History :...

. Presented by Dan Hegarty

Dan Hegarty

Daniel 'Dan' Hegarty is an Irish radio presenter employed by RTÉ. He presents his Alternative to Sleep show on RTÉ 2fm Monday to Thursday from 11.00 - 1.00. He is regularly dispatched to important musical events such as Electric Picnic and Oxegen for live broadcasting purposes, as well as being...

, it is broadcast from 11:00 - 01:00. Hegarty plays a varied selection of alternatively genred independent and classic music, sometimes with live music from festivals and events. Recent interviews conducted by the presenter include Jape

Jape (band)

Jape are an Irish electronic–rock band from Dublin. Formed as a side project by Richie Egan whilst part of The Redneck Manifesto, they have released four albums to date; Cosmosphere , The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me , Ritual and Ocean of Frequency...

 and Joan As Policewoman

Joan Wasser

Joan Wasser is a violinist and singer/songwriter in the indie rock world. She began her career playing violin with the Dambuilders. She has released three albums as a singer songwriter, the 2006 Real Life the 2008 To Survive and the 2011 The Deep Field...

. Hegarty is known for championing such acts as Buck 65

Buck 65

Richard Terfry , who uses the stage name Buck 65, is a Canadian experimental artist, MC and turntablist. Underpinned by an extensive background in abstract hip hop, his more recent music has extensively incorporated blues, country, rock, folk and avant garde influences.Terfry is also a radio host,...

, God Is an Astronaut

God Is an Astronaut

God Is an Astronaut are an instrumental/post-rock band from the Glen of the Downs, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.-History:After forming in 2002, God is an Astronaut took the inspiration for its name from a famous quote in the movie Nightbreed...

, Saul Williams

Saul Williams

Saul Stacey Williams is an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam.-Biography:...

 and Giveamanakick

Giveamanakick

Giveamanakick—typeset as giveamanakick and abbreviated as GAMAK— were an Irish rock music duo from Limerick. The two band members were Stephen Ryan , the vocalist and guitarist, and Keith Lawler , the drummer.Giveamanakick performed regularly in Ireland, toured the United Kingdom with...

. He has been nominated at the Meteor Music Awards

Meteor Music Awards

The Meteor Ireland Music Awards are a group of music awards in Ireland...

on a number of occasions, including in 2009.