people who wear sleep trackers on a “perfectionistic quest for the ideal sleep” actually have their sleep become worse. If that sounds like you, it might be time to take a step back.
“Sleep is a passive process,” one doctor told Kate. “It is to be protected, not forced — or ‘maximized.’” In short, winding down before sleep: good. Winding yourself up about sleep? Not so much.Kate Lindsay has a fascinating new story in The Times [about the growing obsession with sleep (my words).]
Zonked out
By Maxwell Strachan
The Morning, an NYT e-newslettter
Burt has been a sleep skeptic since he began his journey with LBD. Of course, the skepticism was self-serving. He could scoff at my pleas that he let me sleep. It was 3am or 2am or 4am; why wouldn’t he quiet down, please?
He felt the morning/ night dichotomy was a foolish construct. Why is it not 10 in the morning but is 10 at night? Isn’t that ridiculous?
We have less of the mocking now, but he still can keep odd hours. Not as regularly (or irregularly), but it happens.
Looks like he was ever so slightly onto something. It seems we, as Americans, like to, I don’t know, overdo. Guidelines turn into advice which turns into trends, trends into fads, and fads into obsession. Too much of a good thing is… better, worse, or not what you need.
That said, let me be completely clear, we do all need sleep.
Caregivers and the cared for need to rest their brains and bodies.
We are working on regulating Burt’s sleep pattern so I can regulate mine. Not obsessively, just prudently.
I look forward to less yawn-y days. And more peaceful ones for Burt as well, who is often cranky for lack of sleep.
this is our life 