I Don't Sleep
'I didn't sleep at all last night'
'I only need 3-4 hours a night'
'I will sleep when I'm dead'
I used to be one of those - pulling endless all nighters and basically instilling self-imposed sleep deprivation. I used to say these phrases with a sense of pride.
I'd never thought much of it. My mom sleeps very little. My uncle sleeps very little. My law school friends and med school friends and my phD friends all sleep very little. And they're all successful, each in their respective ways. And hey, that's what coffee is for, right?
I'd never had a bedtime, even as a child. You don't sleep when you're tired, you sleep when you're done your work. And there's always more work.
Unconsciously, this unhealthy behaviour has been normalized. And I'm not demonizing my parents or the friends who stay up with me on endless study marathons. It is what it is. But I found myself looking down upon people who looked forward to a good nights sleep.
I was staying awake but I wasn't being productive. I wasn't even TRYING to be productive. I mean I was doing useless things, like watching TV, drinking coffee and gossiping, wandering around Toronto streets and alleyways at 4am (yes, alleyways. Libby can confirm this). I was just stressing out my body and my mind. And for what?
It wasn't until recently that I really appreciated sleep. And more than sleep: naps. Glorious naps. Now for those of us whose side hustle game strong, sleep is a luxury. But in stressful adult life, our sanity is precious and without a decent nights sleep, our serotonin levels drop and we get anxious, depressed, frustrated, and lose productivity. Something we can't afford.
The rules only apply if that's the game you're playing.
So let's ditch this game of 'Who can sleep the least' and do what we all want to do: take a nap.
