If there is anything that I truly envy in life, it is those who are able to wake up early in the morning, readily willing to be productive members of society and participate in a fulfilling day. To the “morning people” of this world, I hold nothing but the highest of respect for you, but will also never quite understand how you do it.

Whereas I am the complete opposite of a “morning person,” my days likely play out far differently than yours. My energy seems to increase in the evening hours, keeping me awake much later than I should be, as well as leaving me numb and exhausted the following morning. To the “night owls” of this world, you are not alone. If you are anything like me and have accepted the fact that, as hard as you may try, you will never be able to force yourself into becoming a “morning person,” I am certain that you can relate to the following.

1. Praying to God you do not get stuck with a morning shift at work/early classes at school.

On a perfect day, I would take the time to catch up on about four years worth of sleep loss. If responsibilities such as work and school were not a factor in my everyday life, my peak of daily productivity would not arise until roughly three in the afternoon.

Evidently, as responsibility is a continuous part of life, I have yet to find myself enjoying one of these perfect days. Instead, I find myself rolling out of bed, rushing to make it to an early morning class, followed by racing to work with high hopes of clocking in on time. I can only hope that my perfect day of playing catch up awaits me in the near future.

2. Learning to set at least three alarms for the morning ahead of you.

I am not sure about anyone else, but never in my life have I experienced a time that I simply got out of bed the minute my alarm sounds in the morning. As many attempts as I may have made to live that rigorous type of lifestyle, I have come to terms with the fact that I will likely never see that time come, which is why I have set a three alarm-minimum for myself each morning. Three. Minimum.

3. Being unable to function without a large cup of coffee (or two).

I have never been the type of person to jump out of bed and begin getting ready for my day without sitting down and enjoying a cup of coffee first. This is typically followed by a second cup, not to mention the necessary trip to Starbucks on the way to my destination. It is safe to assume that, as unhealthy as it may be to run on caffeine, there will surely be very bad mood swings, in conjunction with mid-day headaches, if I fail to get my proper daily dosage.

4. Accepting the fact that you will be leaving your house fifteen minutes later than expected.

To be fair, we all know that anyone who is not a “morning person” will be sleeping through the multiple alarms previously mentioned. Factor in the coffee break, selecting out an outfit and trying to remember where you last placed your car keys. Work at 8? Try 8:30.

5. Finally, appreciating the value of a nap

Simply a necessity.

To the “morning people,” keep doing what you are doing. To everyone else, I hope that, one day, you will awake at the sounding of your first alarm.