Modafinil for sleep disturbances?

[bcubed]

Yes, I know it's not amphetamine, but figured this is the best place for it due to its alterness-promoting nature.

I (not SWIM 'cause everything is legal, above-board, and medically indicated) am recovering from a horrific sleep disorder that cost me my career and briefly put me in a psych ward. I'm going back to school; I'm doing well, for the most part, but have streaks of poor sleep sufficient to prevent me from doing my studies or even getting to class in the worst case. Part of the problem is that a lack of certainty about my sleep is a problem for planning activities, even if problems DON'T materialize.

I learned about modafinil (provigil in the US) and it seemed perfect: it can obviate the need for sleep for short periods, which would help me if the worst-case scenario of 3 days no sleep just before finals came to fruition. As I understand it, it's different from the sleep-defecit-masking nature of typical stimulants, which I'm not interested in pursuing.

I guess what I'm asking is:
1. Would it be effective for short-term sleep disruptions, allowing me to be productive during those times?
2. Should it be difficult to get from an ethical, honest doctor? Does it have the same stigma of abuse potential that ritalin/adderal do?