Tugas Bahasa Inggris 2 ( MY EXPERIENCE )

My Experience

       Ever since I was 15 years old, my body clock has been set to "nocturnal". I'm happiest if I go to bed at 3am and wake up naturally at 12.30pm. If I try to go to sleep any earlier, I just lie awake, not remotely sleepy and only drop off when I reach my natural bedtime in the small hours. If I try to get up any earlier, it's not a matter of being "a bit tired"; I am barely able to function. I feel groggy, find it hard to concentrate and develop flu-like symptoms of aching joints and a pounding head. Having a nap brings temporary relief, but I'm back to square one the next night.

          This caused enormous problems at school: I was getting less than half the 12 hours of sleep I needed and I would wander around in a daze, not taking anything in. In my fog of exhaustion, I found the classroom noise overwhelming. Soon I dreaded mornings and started having panic attacks. I used to creep down at night to watch television and read. My mum would get annoyed but she knew as well as me that there was no point trying to sleep because she had the same problem, never rising before 11am. This was fine for her as she is a painter and can work her own hours.

           But still I wondered why I couldn't alter my body clock. I knew it ran in the family on my mother's side – as well as my mum, my granny had it, and my uncle never went to bed before 5am, but that didn't make it any easier to cope with. I have tried everything to change my sleeping habits – retraining myself by going to bed 15 minutes earlier each night, sitting in front of a light box in the morning, using lavender candles and cutting out caffeine – but nothing has worked.

             No one realised I would be perfectly happy if I stuck to my natural body clock. Eventually I was allowed to have classes in the afternoon with a home tutor, which was a huge relief. This enabled me to pass my exams and get a place at university, but once there, the problems started again. At first I forced myself to get up for 9am lectures, but after five mornings I was crying from exhaustion. I developed coping strategies such as researching the topics on my own and choosing courses with afternoon lectures, and passed my masters with distinction. It was a moment of triumph for me, proving I had resourcefulness and determination after all these years of being misunderstood and called lazy.