September 16, 2022

I would self-describe as a fairly level-headed person. I don’t tend to get over-emotional about things. I can process my thoughts clearly. All that goes out the window when I’m overtired. I, like most people, do not do well on low sleep. My emotions swing wildly. I get sad. My anxiety spikes. It is a recipe for disaster.

I’m running on five hours of sleep right now. It’s almost bedtime for the little guy, which means it is almost bedtime for me, and I could use a good night’s sleep.

The other day I found a new podcast, Make Art Not Content, all about how creative people are often their own biggest obstacles. I agree with that. A mantra one of the episodes centered around was Momentum, Flow, and Sleep. The idea is that a person’s best work comes when they can keep the momentum of being creative, then can get into a flow state, and are getting the proper amount of sleep. This mantra comes up occasionally on other episodes as well. I didn’t think much about how important sleep was until listening to this podcast. Sleep allows our brains that much-needed recovery. It allows the brain to put memories into our long-term storage. Sleep is vital to our success.

Hustle culture has become a toxic way of life that people believe will elevate them to whatever level of success they desire. Hustle culture often brags about working 18 hours a day and getting four hours of sleep, with maybe two hours to unwind spotted here and there. The problem with that lifestyle is it is unsustainable and has been shown to diminish a person’s ability to do whatever they may be doing. Eight hours of sleep is vital. If so much of what makes a person is what goes on in their brain, it is no question that taking care of that equipment would be the number one contributor to success.

I remember the night my son was born. After hours of pushing, at 11 P.M. our beautiful baby boy took his first breath. Of course, I did not get much sleep that night, and the next day I broke down in tears. I was afraid I wouldn’t be a good father. I was afraid of what was to come. I was afraid that we may not be ready to be parents. I didn’t have the mental capacity at that time to rationalize my thought process and my emotions ran wild. I am sure anyone reading this can give me a break considering my son was just born, but that day made me understand at a fundamental level how important it is to my health, cognitive ability, and emotional state, to get enough sleep.

Now, after a full day running on five hours of sleep. Having felt anxious all day. Having wanted to cry. Being unsure of myself. Worrying that I’m not just having these feelings due to being tired, but because I really am in some sort of danger. My son is asleep. My wife is working on homework. I’m going to bed.