sleep

What is it about sleep that is so problematic?

Why is it so hard to get enough? Why does modern society frown on the idea of sleeping when you’re tired? Why must we always be awake? Why do we want to always be awake? Or why does our body want to be when our mind doesn’t?

It’s a fact that if we get less than 6 hours of sleep in consecutive nights, we behave cognitively as though we are drunk. This is fact. And yet we go to work. We raise children. We drive cars. We do all kinds of things, when really, we should be sleeping.

These are my thoughts after rough and long day, brought on by a strange bout of insomnia last night. Also strange is that these strange bouts are becoming less strange as I get older. Mind you, I suppose that is commensurate with the research which indicates that the older you get, the more this is a problem. I’m also discovering that at least for me, when I’ve been sleep-deprived for more than a few days, this can be a trigger for a nasty migraine.

I really wish more organizations would take after Google and company, who allow napping at work. Why don’t we allow napping in all workplaces? And schools? (And while we’re on it — why do secondary schools start so freaking early given all we know about adolescent circadian cycles? THIS IS NOT NEW RESEARCH!)

That’s all. I just wanted to share today’s truth (which I suspect will be a regular one): sleep is good and important and we probably all need more of it.