Sleep, lack of

So, so tired today.  I fear I might be coming down with something – my ping pong game was off today and I got humiliated by my competitors.  I’m definitely suffering from a lack of sleep.  I already sleep with ear plugs in – I probably don’t need them where I live now (I only really notice noise from neighbors when I’m in the living room), but it’s something I’ve got used to over the years.  However, I think I’m waking up earlier as it gets light earlier – the blinds in the apartment are absolutely useless at keeping much of the light out.  So, for the last few days I’ve tried also sleeping with eye shades on (fortunately I kept hold of some from the various trans-Atlantic flights I’ve taken) – but without much success.  I don’t exactly know what I do when I’m asleep but I think I must move about a lot because both mornings I’ve woken up and my eye shades have come off and I’m sleeping on top of them.  Weird.  But it still seems that I’m waking up at dawn – and sunrise in Seattle at the moment is at the shockingly early time of 5.19am.  So I think the accumulation of short nights of sleep are starting to catch up with me.  In the past, work stress has also been a cause of my sleeplessness – but unless not enough work rather than too much work is a cause, then I don’t think this has anything to do with it this time.  And I don’t think I need a new mattress – although I’ve had it for a while (8 years?), it’s not uncomfortable and I’m not waking up with back pain or anything.  Could this just be another symptom from getting old?  I hope not, I’d like to get my full 8 hours of beauty sleep a night if I can…