372, 373,374,375... The sock ball would leave my right hand, graze the ceiling, arc downward into my waiting left hand. ...376, 377,378... tosses without a miss. A good book would make everything alright. A few hours of reading and I would finally get to sleep. But I shared the room with my brother Donny. ...379, 380,381... If I turned on the light it would wake Don "Turn off the fucking light" he would yell. I replied "Shut the fuck up Donny" ...382, 383, 384, 385.... How close could I get to the ceiling without touching it. ...386, 387, 388... "Oh man, I've got an early test in the morning; Please God, let me sleep it's 3am for godsake". ...389, 390, 391, 392... Sleep would continue to elude me, the sock ball whispered as it brushed the ceiling. Whop! right back to my hand. ...393, 394, 395.... 
Its call Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS) or delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD). Mom just called me a night owl, she said she was one too. As far back as I can remember I had difficulty going to sleep and getting up in the morning. if I could sleep 'til 10 am or so I was fine. I loved Saturdays. But the rest of week was made for the Morning Glories. Those people like Don who could fall asleep easily at 9Pm and get up at 6AM: bastard.I was active in sports, football, baseball and especially basketball; playing the Junior High and High School teams. So it wasn't lack of exercise that kept me from sleeping. It was just I couldn't turn off my brain. ... 396, 397, 398... The problem got worse in the Military. ...396,397,398... In boot camp and school it wasn't much of a problem. I would still be awake late at night but I had plenty of people around to make sure I was up and on the grinder at 5:30. I learned to stand at attention and sleep at the same time. Why couldn't we have wars in the afternoon so a fella could get a good night's sleep. ...399,400,401... I never did understand the military. Then as a weather observer I worked rotating shifts for 20 years of my life. 6Pm to 6AM for 2 days then 3 days off the 6AM to 6PM for 3 days. Talk about messing with your circadian rhythms. I would find myself wide awake for 24-36 hours then asleep for 18-24 hours, then constantly late for work.
Delayed sleep phase affects as many as 15% of teens and adults, a much higher rate than advanced sleep phase, and those with delayed sleep phase are generally younger than those with ASP. It often develops in adolescence and continues into early adulthood, though it may also begin in adulthood. It affects both genders equally. Like ASP, DSP also has a genetic link, and people with a family history of DSP are 3 times more likely to have it as those with no family history of the disorder. - American Sleep Association.
ASPS is Advance Sleep Phase Syndrome,the opposite of DSPS. In ASPS a person will usually fall asleep early then wake early; the Morning Glories I mentioned earlier. Neither the owls or the glories usually get the required amount of sleep. We tend to end up with sleep deprivation and then sleep for long periods of time on the weekend. Shari's a Morning glory she will get up at 4:30 or 5 and pull her quilting stuff out and go to work for and hour or two. Then tidy up and goes off to her job where she's bright and sunny until about 2:30. She gets home at six and is asleep in front of the TV no later than 8:30.
Cameryn's like me, a night owl. It wasn't as much of a problem for her until high school because she was home schooled until 9th grade. She has had the same struggles as I did with absences and tardiness in school. This is the biggest problem with DSPS. we are out of sync with most of the world and there are no easy answers. Adjusting bedtimes doesn't work because we follow our own peculiar circadian rhythms, Drugs don't work; by the time we do fall asleep the drug just takes us deeper and interferes with sleep cycles. Some kinds of light therapy have been proposed and I'm sure there's a lot of research being done.
I wonder if Cameryn uses sockball therapy? ...402, 403, 404...
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