DEAR HARRIETTE: I have all the intentions in the world to come home from work and clean my apartment. However, that is not always the case. I walk in the door, sit down and fall asleep on my couch. I wake up in the middle of the night thinking I wasted another opportunity to clean up my place. I do not like a messy apartment, but I cannot defeat the urge to sleep. I need to come up with an efficient way to clean my apartment before sleep comes knocking on my door. What should I do? -- Sleepyhead, Springfield, New Jersey
DEAR SLEEPYHEAD: Cleaning your apartment in the dark when you are tired is not likely to be productive. Rather than trying to force a task on yourself when you are not at your best, redesign your schedule. Get up an hour earlier every day. Eat your breakfast. But before you shower, work on your apartment for a full hour before you begin the rest of your day. If you do this daily, you will be able to whittle away at the mess. To keep mess at bay, put things where they belong immediately. For example, when you come home from work, hang up your coat. After you eat, wash the dishes. If you handle your responsibilities in the moment, you will have less mess to face later.