Sleep: everybody does it, nobody admits it

Back when I was in high school and college, there were several bad behaviors that were often worn as badges of honor by my fellow students: not studying for an exam, pulling an all-nighter, getting so drunk that you can’t remember being taken to the hospital for alcohol poisoning, hooking up with people you don’t know, etc.

Now, as we’ve all grown up, most of us have seen the folly of our ways and would hardly brag and boast about many of these immature activities. Except for one:

Being able to function on little-to-no sleep is still seen as a noble trait. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.

Sleep makes you a better person…

A recent post on Signal vs. Noise listed a few drawbacks to sleep deprivation:

• Stubbornness.
• Lack of creativity.
• Diminished morale.
• Irritability.

Speaking from personal experience, every single one of those drawbacks is completely true. I only wish it didn’t take me over 25 years to realize that a lack sleep makes me an unproductive, unhappy, and unfriendly person.

What David Heinemeier’s post forgets to mention is that not only does sleep deprivation affect your mental capacity, it also affects you physically. Sluggishness is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to lack of sleep-related health problems: not spending enough time in bed can lead to weight gain and obesity, which in turn is a precursor for all sorts of problems like diabetes and heart disease.

…bragging about your lack of sleep does not.

We all know that adequate sleep is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. So why do we tend to revere people that don’t get enough?

There was a time when I admired people that could function on four hours of sleep (I get about six hours a night myself) and would ask them for tips on how to stay awake without suffering from exhaustion. These days, I look up to people that get eight hours of sleep and still have time to work, play, and spend time with their families.

If you think about it, people who “don’t have enough time” to sleep a healthy amount are not the productivity machines we assume them to be. Instead, they’re just bad at time management.

We should be admiring the people who put in efficient work days, spend time on leisure activities, manage to take care of themselves and their families, give back to their communities, and somehow are still able to get a serious amount of shuteye.

So next time someone brags to you about only sleeping for four hours a night and putting in exceedingly long days at the office, tell them you got eight hours of sleep last night and smile. They’ll soon realize that they’re not in college anymore, and that bad behaviors are no longer badges of honor; instead, they’re markers of immaturity.

It’s just past eleven at night, so it’s time for me to hit the sack. Good night.