DEAR ABBY: This is in response to “Too Tired in Parkville, Mo.” (April 27), who said she is “not a morning person,” but who has been assigned additional early-morning tasks at work. I, too, am a night owl. Give me a graveyard shift, and I am a happy camper. However, as a single mother of two children, that has never been an option.

I used to have a rough time in the mornings. (I would fall asleep over my keyboard on a regular basis.) I finally sought help from a doctor and learned that my daytime sleepiness was actually from a medical condition. I recommend that “Too Tired” speak to a physician to find out if there is an underlying cause for her sleepiness. – AWAKE WITH THE SUNRISE, KEIZER, ORE.

DEAR AWAKE: The responses I received to that letter were as different as night and day! Read on:

DEAR ABBY: Your advice to “Too Tired in Parkville” was excellent. I realize that some people are not “morning people,” but the comment she made about being unable to function no matter how much sleep she had gotten the night before gave me pause.

To change the body clock, one must go to bed at the same time every day, not just the night before one’s shift. Eventually, one’s body will adjust. However, if the body doesn’t adjust, she should check for other causes, like perhaps, sleep apnea. It’s a serious medical condition. – C.C. FROM TEXAS

DEAR ABBY: “Too Tired,” should ask to change shifts. I am a manager for a major department store, and we encourage our employees to work the shift that fits them the best. I am an owl. I manage the night shift, the time that is best- suited for me.

All companies want the best productivity from their people, and if changing shifts will improve the person’s performance, then I do not know any boss who would not welcome the shift change, especially if the employee is an asset to the company. – DIANE IN SECAUCUS, N.J.

DEAR ABBY: You know what? I think “Too Tired” needs to suck it up and do the job assigned to her. Most jobs are based on the premise that you wake up early, go to work and get home for dinner. In college you can schedule classes to start at 3 in the afternoon if you want, sleep in and enjoy your mornings.

It’s time for “Too Tired” to learn that the majority of people go to work in the morning, and she should get used to it. – DIANA IN SAN FRANCISCO

DEAR ABBY: As an employer, I read that letter and noticed flaws in the writer’s work ethic. She stated that she’s just out of college and has a part-time job in her field that has been “easy and laid-back.” When her employer “upgraded” her responsibilities with no pay raise, her problems began.

Abby, she is being tested by her employer. If she’s working in her preferred field, she’s going to make a name for herself – a good one or a bad one. It’s up to her to prove herself regardless of whether she’s a morning person or not. Period! – CHEYNE IN GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.

DEAR ABBY: “Too Tired” needs to change her attitude. Someday she may have to feed a child at all hours of the day or night, and the fact that she’s “not a morning person” just doesn’t cut it.

Do you think that farmers who get up at 5 a.m. to milk the cows are all morning people? They just do what has to be done. I bet the incentive of a large paycheck would make her a morning person in a New York minute. – JOAN H., SOUTH CAROLINA

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

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