having been a 'night owl' almost all my life and prefer working 2nd/3rd shifts, i can understand the drawl to staying up late..... but having worked 1st and being up at 4:30 am for the last 12 years, it's tough for people to understand when i go through spells of needing little or none sleep....... got to the point that people were blaming me for acting more like a teen/college student then my age (late 30's- like i wanted to go around like a zombie!) but after having to leave work for personal reasons (a suicide attempt and full-time counseling for depression), members of my family are slowly coming around to understanding that the condition is real and that it's not a sign of laziness...... just wish they understood sooner.......