"Group Power" or "The Power of Sleep" ?

I am not feeling particularly creative at this moment, but feel the need to write. I am actually exhausted. I worked until 11:00 PM last night and got up at 4:45 this morning to hit the gym as usual. Great, right?! Nope, the problem here is that my body just is not adjusting to working so late and getting up so early. In all honesty, I knew it would be hard, but not THIS hard. I usually do Group Power class on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 5:30, and I like to get a quick 2 mile run in before, so I like to be out the door by 5 AM. While I know that weight-lifting is great for my overall health, great for my metabolism and fat burning, and great for that "toned" look, Oh and let's not forget how many benefits it has for runners(increased strength, better form, quicker recovery times) ...getting up this early is proving to be contraindicated . I am so tired that my workouts are suffering. My body is not rested enough to give my all. I am so tired I am craving high fat, high sugar foods. I am so tired that, at certain points in the day I can not help myself from thinking about how good it would feel to lie down. I imagine my head hitting the pillow, my eyes closing, JUST FOR A SECOND, and I giggle a bit with joy. This is not like me. I am generally a very energetic, "go get 'em", "git r done" type of gal. The person who, until recently, felt that sleep was a bit over-rated. Don't get me wrong, I've known sleep is important, but felt that "too much" sleep is an honest to goodness waste of time. I guess I still feel that way, though maybe I've learned that different people require different amounts of sleep to function at their best. Right now I am not functioning at my best. Sure, my house is as organized as I can keep it on a daily basis (with 4-8 kids present at any given moment), sure my laundry is caught up (for now!), sure my kids are healthy and happy and well supervised, sure I am working 2 jobs and doing both pretty well, if I might say so, but DAMN IT, my head is in a fog! I am daydreaming about sleep, people! A wise woman once told me..."something's gotta give" , and so I now am faced with the decision..."What do I give up?" The only feasible option at this point is to take a break from the Group Power classes...just temporarily...I think...maybe I will sleep in a bit on Tuesday and Thursday mornings...maybe I won't even miss my friend Karen next to me in the front row, or seeing my mother rush in faithfully last minute, or getting lost in the music to each of the tracks, or sharing winces and grunts and even smiles with other people in the class, or that amazing feeling I get when I increase the weight on the triceps track, or how energized I feel at the end of class (although fleeting these days... ), or that one-of-a kind feeling you get from being part of a group, a secret club, a gathering of women and men who, like you, are dedicated and motivated enough to get up with the sun and make the time to do something good for their bodies. Yea, maybe I won't miss it at all...