saving ink

I think this explains by alternating bouts of insomnia with near-constant daytime sleepiness.

I am a nocturnal person. My natural sleep pattern dictates me going to bed between 2 and 4 in the morning, and waking up in the late morning/early afternoon. This is how I function when I have no obligations requiring me to be awake at certain hours. Contrary to popular belief, this does not make me a lazy person, as I normally sleep no more than 7-8 hours per night, and usually closer to 6.5. It just means that biologically, my  circadian cycle is shifted a good 4 hours later than the average person.

When I was a student or worked on a schedule I set myself, this was not a problem. However, now that work requires me to be there 10-6 every day, it’s led to a pattern of shift work sleep: on the weekends I revert back to my natural sleep cycle. On the weekdays, I undergo a continuing struggle to fall asleep by 1 and get up by 8, usually failing miserably on both fronts. This leaves me brain-dead for the first few hours of each workday, as I wait for the caffeine to kick in and for my mind to overcome its morning sluggishness.

In the end, I’m frustrated, unproductive, and exhausted, and I really don’t know how much longer I can continue this cycle. It’s not healthy, if the constant caffeine-induced stomachaches are any indication, and it’s a waste of my productivity. The only good side-effect is during my peak productive hours, usually between 10 pm and midnight, are spent on working on my own projects, often late into the night.

I know the best solution is self-employment. Until that happens, I need some suggestions that don’t involve the destruction of my liver.

Anyone else have this problem?