Sleep Debt

This last trip was a rough one. I had the worst sleep hangover one day, to the point where it was probably dangerous for me to be driving. I had fewer than four hours of sleep that night, and if I'd closed my eyes for a second during my two hour commute to an early appointment, I would have fallen asleep. I was also severely nauseated, couldn't eat or even drink coffee (!), and couldn't think straight for my first few awake hours. Changing time zones - although absolutely necessary for my work - does not agree with me. I have to find a solution.

When I can, I try to schedule a "catch up" day when I get home. That's what I'm doing today. Despite total exhaustion, I fell asleep at about 1:30am last night and woke up at 8:45am today. That's pretty normal, and even an earlier wake-up time than I expected. However, by 1:00pm I couldn't keep my eyes open again and I fell asleep on my couch for two more hours. It's almost 4:30 and I'm just starting to feel normal and focused and like maybe I can accomplish something today, although I'm not going to try anything more taxing than a blog post or some reading.

I'm curious to see what time I'll get tired tonight. I stopped taking the melatonin after my super-horrible sleep hangover day on the road because I'm afraid that it caused that awful morning. Getting fewer than four hours of sleep is one thing, feeling like I drank two bottles of tequila the night before is another. The only explanation I have is that it was the melatonin.

I'm debating whether or not to try it again, now that I'm home and have a relatively stable schedule for at least the next 10 days. I'm throwing some ideas around in my head...all I know is that something has to change. It just has to. I can't live like this or I will end up totally useless. I wonder how many homeless people have DSPS???