ZZZZZ or a General Lack Thereof

For almost 5 years I worked a night shift job from 7 PM to 7 AM. It was a great job that gave me flexibility because I had 3-4 days off per week. However, it was the start of sleeping problems for me. I would get home around 7:30 AM and go straight to bed until somewhere between noon and 2 PM. Then I'd have 3-4 days off where I would have to switch back to a NON-VAMPIRE schedule of sleeping at night.

I think I perpetually confused my body. And it has yet to overcome it.

I could go without sleep...I'm surprisingly functional without it. Six hours is all I need. But I reach a point where too little sleep over time makes me prone to migraines and general nastiness accompanied by cursing, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. And there's only so much I can accomplish in the wee hours of the night that wouldn't disturb the sleeping masses. And as much as you'd like to believe it, there is only so much TV to watch or books to be read before insanity sets in.

So I visited my medicine man and he had me try every kind of sleep medication on the market. Some just plain didn't work or left me drowsy all the time or helped me fall asleep but not STAY asleep. Until my beloved Ambien came along.

If you've ever read the warnings on the Ambien label, they read something like this:

* Take Ambien RIGHT before laying down.
* Seriously, you'll regret it if you don't.
* Ambien may cause sleepwalking.
* And you won't remember sleepwalking or anything that happened while you sleepwalked.
* Most common side effects are drowsiness and diarrhea.

.....wait....what was that last one???

Drowsiness AND diarrhea? Yikes...hate to be the .05% of the population with THAT combination of side effects.

But it works for me. I've never done anything crazy or had any crazy dreams or what-not with Ambien. In fact, I've been woken several times by barfing children or bumps in the night and felt perfectly normal. 99% of my nights pass in a dreamless blissful state of ZZZZZZZ.