Sleep Deprivation

I have always been
One of those people
Who get by on
Four or five hours
Of sleep a night.
I think it started
Back when I was a kid,
I was afraid
I would miss something
While I was asleep,
So putting me to bed
And getting me to sleep
Must have been
A difficult chore.
Even to this day,
I can’t stand
Just lying in bed
Once I'm awake.
When I had my own company,
I would work
Around the clock,
24 hours a day,
And grab fifteen minutes
Or a half hour
Of sleep whenever
I felt like I needed it,
And as soon as I
Would wake up,
I would go at it again.
As a consequence,
I suffer from acute
Sleep deprivation,
And I am generally half asleep
Whenever I am awake.
I have learned, however,
Not to fight it
When my body calls it quits,
And I can generally gage
How long I need to sleep,
To overcome the head ache
And sore eyes I get
From such practices.
I also learned how to time myself
While I sleep
So if I need a 15 minute
Power nap,
I will wake up in precisely
Fifteen minutes,
And I will usually be
Totally refreshed.
If I try to stay awake,
And battle to keep
My eyes open,
I will wear myself out
With the struggle,
And end up with
A head ache or worse.
This can present
Dangerous challenges
When I am driving,
Especially if I am heading
On a long journey.
I can actually fall asleep
Doing just about anything.
I have even fallen asleep
Standing up.
One problem I encounter
Fairly frequently
Is that I love to read,
And if I get a good book,
I don’t want to put it down
Until I have read it
Cover to cover.
Then I really suffer
For the next day or two.
Due to the hang over
That comes from
Severe eye strain.
I know this is something
I should manage
Better than I do,
And for sure,
I need more sleep
Than I am getting,
But I have made my peace
With the consequences,
And it is one of the methods
I use to stay productive.