sleepy coder

i'm not sleeping well these days. i think i've mentioned it before, but i don't think i've had a really well-rested night's sleep since summer. who knows what is up with me, but i have nightmares or i just can't fall asleep. of course, this means that by the time my alarm goes off, i am just getting into the REM stage. this is probably why i've been snoozing the alarm for about an hour and a half every morning lately. :)

my sleep deprivation and resulting morning daze bring me to the next part of this post: caffeine & its necessity. being a coder requires concentration, a bit of mathematics and logical thinking (and knowing a coding language of course). the hardest part of my day lately is the morning when i am fighting my body to stay awake and keep alert. a few moments ago, for example, i downed a coffee and a day-old (don't ask) black cherry vanilla diet coke (all within minutes) just to get my heart pumping and my brain up-to-speed. i also may have done some jumping jacks and squats in the ladies restroom, but we don't need to go into that.

i'm thinking i just need to go to bed earlier. but how? i have to force myself to stop doing things around 11:30 every night just so i can lay there until my body finally just switches my hyperactivity off for the night. besides, i have a lot going on and i need all the time i have to get things done. you know how it is. or am i just going crazy?