One Startling Realization About Sleep
My obsession with perfect sleep every night might be a fantasy. I realized it during a road trip with the help of a friend of mine. Early in the morning we woke up in a nice two-bed hotel room in Washington DC where we stayed for one night. He asked me: “How did you sleep?”
“Not great, but okay,” I said.
“I didn’t get much sleep. Not sure why. Imagine hundreds or thousands of years ago our ancestors lived in rough environments.”
“Right, surrounded with wild animals and brutal weather conditions. They had to sleep with eyes half-opened in case a threat came near. They survived. It’s got to be natural to not have a deep sleep every night, far from it.”
“Exactly what I’m thinking,” my travel companion nodded.
There is a common tendency to attempt to sleep well every night. It’s a rational desire but impossible to achieve if you don't create perfect conditions. As a frequent traveler I cannot expect luxuries of the modern world: satin sheets, orthopedic pillows, high-grade foam mattresses, cool flow gel memory foam toppers. I deal with sudden noises, uncomfortable temperatures, forgetting my eye mask, shitty pillows. I often have to make do and suck it up.
Not getting good sleep every night may be even healthy for your system. It must be a natural part of our existence as a species, and hence, dare I say it… good for you?
