Wide Awake

People need between six and eight hours of sleep a night to be productive human beings.

Yet there are plenty of people who claim that they don't need to sleep quite that much. People sort of wear it as a badge of honor as if they sleep less we'll think more of them.

Do you ever hear someone say?

"I only need three or four hours of sleep a night."

Couple of things:

1). If you're sleeping so little how come you're still a freaking mess

and

2). You're lying.

I wish I slept better at night, but I don't say that I get less than three or four hours a night. I'm definitely in the six to eight range. It's just that my sleep turns fitful at times. Like once a month or so. A buddy of mine likes to let me know that I'm on a cycle of sorts.

He isn't being nice.

But don't get me wrong: I love sleep. My sole goal of being rich and famous would be to get a nap every day. Keep the money, keep the fame...just let me close the office from 1 to 3 as my grandfather used to do.

Yet I do get up early. On weekdays I'm usually up and around by five or so. I love that time of the day to catch up on my reading and to get a plan of sorts for the day. On the weekends I might sleep in...until 6:30 or so. It's been a long, long time since I slept past seven.

I have no use for an alarm clock and couldn't even tell you what mine sounds like.

I know where that sleep pattern comes from, however, because my father was always up and out of bed as if he were shot from a cannon. When he was about the age I am now, he'd be at the kitchen table at four, playing cards, and thinking, plotting and planning all of our lives. He'd write us letters from the heart, start dinner, and think.

Always thinking.

I've really had to learn not to show impatience in regard to my kid's sleeping patterns. I know that on the weekends they are up late...in fact just a couple of weeks ago Matt was heading off to bed as I was getting up. A few weeks ago, after some time on the road I said that I was going to bed early and headed up the stairs as the hockey game got underway.

"You aren't watching the game?" Sam asked.

"So tired," I responded.

"Well," he said. "Maybe if they go into overtime you'll be up in time to see the end."

I woke up at 2:30 that night.

They say that as you age you don't need quite as much sleep. I still disagree.

Come on, fame and fortune!

I want to close the office.


Comments

deafjeff said…
I seem to remember the Old Man taking some afternoon naps too. And some stupid pollack neighbor kid waking him up all the time. BAH!

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