Maybe I should start a Night-Owl-Rights movement.  I won't, of course, because I am too tired and have a million other things I need to do.  Being a night owl isn't easy.  We get a really bad rap. 

Early birds, are energetic!  They wake up without an alarm clock.  They take a 2 mile run, make breakfast for the family and read the newspaper, all before getting to work early.  At my workplace, they get a free breakfast for being so committed to the company that they come to work before 8:30am.  Of course, most leave work early, too.  Many of them are getting ready for bed just as I start my commute home.

Night owls, on the other hand, are considered lazy and irresponsible.  They are always late for the morning meeting.  Clearly, they lack commitment and don't consider their impact on the team!  They could have been on time if they only went to bed at a reasonable hour.

Honestly, it is very frustrating.  This is an issue I have been dealing with for my entire life.  When it interferes with your life, there is another name for it: Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder. Wikipedia's article on it is quite good, if you are interested in learning more.

In High School, it was a nightmare to get to school in the morning.  I would fall asleep at about 2:00am after laying in bed for hours.  I forget exactly what time school started, but I have the time 6:20am burned into my memory.  That could have been the time my alarm was set for...maybe someone who went to school with me can remind me.  But we are so resiliant when we are young.  I could get by on the four hours of sleep, and then sleep in on the weekends.  I got A's and B's and would only nod off in the first couple of classes each day.

College was much better.  I never scheduled a class before 10:00am - noon if I could help it!  I worked while I was in school.  I did the night shift at a sub shop –  6:00pm until 2:00am.  It was great.

Now, I have been in the real work a little too long.  Keeping up with a 9 - 5 job is a struggle.  Luckily, I have managed to make my boss understand to a certain degree.  I can come in at 10:00am and work later to make up the time.  Even that is hard but it works out for the most part. 

Lately, after the the conclusion of the "Worst Year Ever," my inner clock has been reset to its true time.  4:00am - 12:00pm.  Ugh.  That does not make it easy to get to work on time.  I have been sleep deprived for weeks, running on fumes. 

I recently saw my sleep doctor and begged for sleeping pills.  If I could just fall asleep at a reasonable hour, surely I could wake up at a reasonable hour.  Unfortunately, since I also have sleep apnea, she refused the prescription.

Instead, I am supposed to take melatonin 4 hours before I want to fall asleep.  People with normal circadian rhythms and occasion insomnia would take it only one hour before sleep.  People with DSPS seem to metabolize or react to melatonin differently (which makes sense) so it needs more time to work.

They also want me to take off several weeks of work to try chronotherapy.  Um, yeah, that can happen in the real world.  I had to take off so much time when my mother was in the hospital late last year that I am a week negative in PTO for this year and had to take time unpaid. 

It is really frustrating.  I like my job.  I do good work and put in more than 40 hours a week.  But the stigma from coming in 15-30 minutes late a few times too many never goes away.  It leaves people thinking you are lazy or don't care.  So here I am, trying to figure out how to start a new career where I can work within my natural rhythm.