One thing you mentioned that I wanted to comment on:

"About 1 hour later the sun was coming up and I was woken up by a RUDE passenger who decided to open the window and wake everyone else at 1 in the morning!"

There's always going to be tension on flights when those who want things just so don't get their way -- witness the recent dust ups over reclining. If you're a light sleeper, I recommend a good quality sleep mask. They're a little warm, but otherwise they work like a charm.