11/21/01 - I've been having a hard time keeping my eyes open. I have been having this problem for the last several weeks. I can sleep eight hours and still wake up feeling tired. I'm a little worried about it though I don't think there is anything seriously wrong. There are a few reasons that may be contributing to this problem. I no longer have a split schedule. I used to work three graveyard shifts with a midweek break, followed by two swing shifts and then another break on the weekend. This may seem confusing to some, but it allowed a lot of variety. I used to be able to sleep for five hours in the day, wake up and enjoy the afternoon and evening, then nap a bit before heading to work. My midweek break always felt special to me, a private holiday. And on swing shift days I could wake early and enjoy a few mornings. All this has changed now. No, I'm not unhappy with the change. I'm just finding it difficult to adjust. For some reason I can no longer split my sleep up. I'm working five nights of graveyard in a row. I've become "topsey turvey." I don't seem to be able to sleep as soon as I get home from work. When I do get to sleep, I have trouble waking up. I'll sometimes sleep 8 hours and still wake up tired. And another thing, I'm never really very hungry anymore. I'm not sure when to eat. Another part of the problem is a lacking of daylight. The days are shorter now. I work in a room without windows. I never see the sun come up. It's creepy. When I leave the office I have culture shock upon seeing the day. It's too early in the day to really do anything outside, and besides, it's cold out. I don't have a lot of energy when I come home from work. I'm awake, but quiet. When I wake up from my day's sleep, the sun is on it's way down. Like I said, it's creepy. Then, on the weekend, I spend most of it trying to catch up to a "normal" schedule. There's got to be a trick to this. I'm working on finding it out. I certainly am not one to live in misery.
I like working graveyard. I just need to come up with a schedule that fits this "topsey turvey" lifestyle. Or is it a lifestyle that fits the schedule? I'm having a feeling that I need to eat more regularly. I need to build up my energy. Maybe I should use the mornings for a short walk. I've been told that I should conserve my energy on the weekends, not overdo it. That may be a good idea, at least until I've become adjusted to all this. Of course by that time the days will be getting longer. I'm not a winter person. This is a hard time for me even under "normal" conditions.
I don't think I'm depressed. I just think I may be fretting a bit. I've also become tired from trying to figure all this out. So, no more fretting. Life is too precious for that. I have a peaceful, quiet weekend coming up with no plans. That sounds wonderful and freeing to me. I just hope I don't sleep through it. |
