Now that I am getting in better shape, I most often fall asleep on the couch after yet another late shift at The Press. I am sleeping rather soundly these days, and greet the morning with enough enthusiasm to throw me into the activities of the day.

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It wasn't always that way.

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I suffered from the same nocturnal problems as most teenagers. I tended to stay up too late (maybe had a little too much caffeine in the form of sodas) and waking up to an alarm clock, or my father's "Up and at 'em!" command for another day of work on the farm was a chore in itself.

Anyone who has ever spent time on a farm knows that the "day" begins before the sun comes up. You're expected to be awake, fully finished with breakfast and fully dressed before the rooster crows in response to the sun's debut.

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Maybe if dad had come up with a different morning greeting, such as "Wakey, wakey - eggs and bac-y!," I might have been aroused by the thought of another warm breakfast and threw the covers off and marched to the kitchen.

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Then again, maybe not.

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And it's not like I didn't have a great meal to look forward to. It was usually something hot, and filling. Breakfast - especially on the farm - is the most important meal of the day.

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At any rate, it took me years to come to the conclusion that my caffeine fix was contributing to my lack of quality shut-eye. Once I cut down, and limited my intake to the mornings, I was able to fall asleep much easier and earlier in the evening.

As I grew out of my teens and early 20s, I moved away from the farm, went to college and experienced life on my own. The nightlife got mundane quickly, and I was one to call it a day and head home for a night's sleep much sooner than most of my friends on a regular basis as I moved toward birthday No. 30.

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I gained some weight in my fourth decade, and that went hand-in-hand with the re-emergence of a lack of sleep. I was constantly hot in bed, and I'm not talking the good kind. I had the fan on or the window open most of the year.

I finally got rid of the warm, sleepless nights recently when I lost weight by a steady regimen of bicycling and running. Now over 40 pounds lighter, I have enjoyed the added benefit of a virtually pain-free lower back, since it no longer has to balance the weight opposite in out front.

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And greeting the day now is much easier, knowing my back won't hurt as I throw the covers off, my ears straining to hear the echo of a rooster's call from 30-some years ago.

Jerry Hitchcock looks forward to his whole wheat bagel and Nutella every morning (Oh, and his Dr. Pepper 10) after a nice run. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2017, or via email at jhitchcock@cdapress.com.