Friday, October 10, 2008

The Science of Sleep

All week, I've been waking up 30 to 45 minutes before my alarm. This is quite unusual, as I normally hit the snooze button several times before hauling myself out of bed and into the shower.

I'm trying to pinpoint the cause of this newfound early-bird-ness. I've been under incredible pressure at work over the last few weeks, so I frequently find myself gripped with panic about the program that didn't get delivered (it did) or the proof I forgot to approve (I didn't). I fall asleep--eventually--with my mind racing through the things that need to get done the next day, and I pick up right where I left off the instant my eyes open the next morning. I have had a perpetual knot in my stomach all week because of the stress. Seems like a good enough reason to wake up early, yes?

Or! Is it possible that I am, in fact, actually sleeping better these days? During the summer, I sleep with my windows open and, though I'm able to ignore the street noise, I wonder if I'm actually getting a deeper, more restful sleep now that the temperature has dropped, my windows are closed, and it's quieter?

I've spent most of the day contemplating this.

The good thing about this, though, is that I have had time to spend the day contemplating it. Work has chilled out a little (until Monday, at least), and I have a little time to breathe. So, naturally, I am blogging.

No comments:

Post a Comment