Sleep :: Who Needs it Anyway?

Written by Amid Life Contributor, Michelle Bravo

"I love sleep, my life has a tendency to fall apart when Im awake."  Ernest Hemingway

My ex-husband is a Morning Radio Personality in California. He wakes up by three am to entertain his audience and does it with vigor. He used to be in bed by 8:30 pm which likely contributed to the demise of our union.

When he was at WKTU in New York, I used to get up with him and discuss his show topics before he went to work. I never went to bed a minute before midnight.  In retrospect, I'm the one who should have been leaving the house at that hour to entertain people.

I was the one who would wake up with enthusiasm and energy as he consumed three diet cokes en route. I would have made a good co-host, clearly not on his show. He would come home and take a nap in order to perform for the next morning. I could never understand his need for napping all the time. I'm not like most people in the sleep department.

Sleep, we all need it, crave it, want more of it and it is a favorite indulgence for many. I enjoy when I listen to everyone's sleep patterns. I typically hear that most people need seven or eight hours of sleep otherwise they simply can't function.

Several of my  female friends complain that they no longer sleep throughout the night. Insomnia is a new issue for many of them and they struggle with it.  There are so many pressures in life with our children, work, finances, aging parents, our own health, unsatisfactory marriages. Whatever the issue of choice there is, at some point it will disrupt your flow of sleep. It seems to become more of a struggle as people age, or perhaps with some other hormonal thing going on. The number of sleep-aids on the market increase daily, clearly people suffer from insomnia.

I have never enjoyed the process of going to bed. I fight it and I can't wait to get up and get going with my day. I find it a waste of time, despite the fact that it is essential. Often, I look at my watch and I'm annoyed that it is only 4:00 am and the outside world has yet to arise. Thankfully I have friends all over the world should I truly need to have a conversation with someone.

I have been this way ever since I can remember.  In college, all of my classes were over at noon as I scheduled them for the earliest time possible. The day was so long and I was so productive.

I only need five hours of sleep at the most. My body wakes up and Im ready to go and Im happy. I seldom nap and have recently found out that I identify with many characteristics of what researchers refer to as a "short sleeper." I don't suffer from lack of sleep and feel blessed that I have more hours in my day to quench my thirst for knowledge as well as tend to all of the responsibilities on my plate.

" I will catch up on my sleep when I'm dead"- In the meantime- I'm ready for my morning show or whatever other idea pops into my head prior to sunrise.

Do you find yourself craving sleep or are you like me?


Michelle Bravo writes Suburban Adventure, Musings from a displaced, divorced city girl who is raising children solo while adjusting to life in the country. Humorous, insightful and extremely upbeat. Topics include relationships, family dynamic, travel, friendships, restaurants, daily life and much more.