Yes, it's 4:30 a.m. as I write this, and I've been up for a while. You guy readers might wish to avert your eyes from the upcoming rant about PMS-induced insomnia.

I'm positive my insomnia is PMS-induced; it is by far the worst and most consistent symptom every month. I was exhausted all day yesterday after sleeping badly the night before, so I went to bed very early, intending to watch TV and doze off. I fell asleep with no trouble at all - and woke up barely 5 hours later, still tired but utterly unable to get comfortable and go back to sleep. I really tried - I tossed and turned for an hour, even popped some valerian, but finally gave up and decided to get an early start on my housework. I can take a nap on my cat-hairless couch later, and I'm sure I will. Insomnia isn't a big deal on the weekend, but this is a big issue during the work week. Yesterday I felt so crummy all day I thought I might be getting the flu. Apparently not, it's just the disturbed sleep that's making me feel like shit.

The only advantage to living alone is times like this - I can get up and load and run the dishwasher and change the sheets and do loads of laundry at 4 a.m. and not disturb anybody else. So I'm going to resume my cleaning frenzy as soon as I finish a very early breakfast. Oh, a bit of good news - I lost another pound. Considering the hormonal issues I'm battling, I'm very pleased.