Can I sleep when I'm dead?

I have a hard time sleeping. Without alcohol or Benadryl, I am literally unable to sleep for more than 4 hours straight. And once I wake up, the spell has been broken. I'm in countdown mode for the alarm at 6. Completely wide awake. I might, MIGHT be able to get in a little nap, but most days, I operate on less than 5 hours of sleep.

In bed by 11 p.m., asleep by 11:30 and wide awake by 3:30 a.m.

It probably doesn't help that as a child, I taught myself to WAKE UP FULLY before turning, or even moving, in bed. That trick was to keep from having to make a mussed up bed. Mine barely looked touched each morning.

Of course, there is the whole guilt thing about being in bed later than 7 a.m. If it is light out, I feel the need to be UP! It's not that I'm a morning person either. Weekends, vacations, days off...makes no diff. For years, our alarm went off by 4:30 a.m.; Rick had to be to work by 6, and had an hour drive.

Then again, most days off I still need to get up by 6:30 to get Rick off to work. He's an absolute grizzly bear and won't get out of bed unless I'm up.

Rarely, do I even attempt to climb back into bed after he leaves. I'm up. Stuff to do.

And it's light out.

The Last of Sheila (Coburn)