COLUMN: For the love of sleep...and coffee
Whether I get a full night's sleep or a quick catnap, sleep is sleep. And, well, I love sleep.
Seriously, who doesn’t love waking up from a great snooze sesh?
I know I do, but I have a problem: I love sleep too much.
I have been that person who sleeps in every day until noon. Last year, all of my classes started after 1 p.m., just so I could sleep in.
But this past summer, I realized I needed to break this sleeping-in habit.
I always thought of sleep as a positive and enlightening act, and while it is, there are also many negatives that come from sleeping too much.
Many times I would sleep though breakfast, which is supposed to be the most important meal of the day. I would also find myself feeling incredibly lazy throughout my much shorter day.
Because of my late sleeping habit, my days would consist of very little, making them a waste.
That is why this past summer I started to wake up earlier, around 8 a.m., allowing me to accomplish a lot more throughout my day.
I was fascinated by how much I could get done before noon; I could do two loads of laundry, clean my room, run errands and workout, all before my traditional day would have started.
Needless to say, I was amazed.
As much as I love sleep, I love getting my day started earlier. That is, as long as I have my newfound friend – coffee – by my side.
While sleep will always be an act I look forward to, I will have to let go of my habit of sleeping in.
For the past month, Sunday has been the only day I have allowed myself to sleep past 10 a.m., and my weekdays must begin by 8 a.m. sharp. Coffee is accepted, as well as a 30-minute nap during day. (Hey, I never said I could break my habit overnight.)
While the phrase “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” is a common and over exaggerated one, it holds some truth.
So, goodbye sleep. I love you and you will be missed. But trust me, once midday rolls around and that nap is calling my name, we will meet again.
