Exhaustion

Today I'd like to talk about my ever-increasing need to sleep. In my life, I've known several people who take sleeping to the Olympics level (Jeff C., Michelle A., and San all come to mind), but I have always been able to function properly on a few solid hours of sleep. However, when I graduated from college, all the theories of my invincibility disappeared. I NEED at least 8 hours of non-alcohol-induced sleep EVERY night if I want to pretend that I am a normal human being in the morning. And that's at a minimum.

However, lately, I've been feeling rather groggy all the time. When I wake up, I'm groggy. When I get to work, I'm groggy. When I have lunch (and I'm not reading Harry Potter), I'm groggy. I get home, and guess what? I'm groggy. In fact, for the past two weeks, I've been avoiding the gym like the plague so I can get in that extra hour of sleep.

Does anyone out there know of some way that I can increase my energy levels? I eat fairly healthy meals, drink about 18 cups of chammomile tea during the day to keep up my water intake (and to keep warm - the boss sure does love him some AC), drink a bottle of Gatorade when I'm at the gym and another one at lunch, eat a mid-morning snack to keep alive, and balance it all with a wonderfully home-cooked dinner.

Now, don't be rude and tell me I need to start working out more - I was exhausted AT THE GYM, for chrissakes! And please don't put me on any of those weird heart-attack-inducing supplements from GNC. Perhaps I should increase a certain vitamin in my diet? Perhaps there is a magic cure out there? Let me know and I'll love you forever...

What with my lower back and left knee aching because of the rain (dammit! that makes me feel old), I would love it if I could get back to the gym again and build up those muscles that will help me ease into my senior years with a purposeful stride - perhaps even a light jog.