Go To Bed Tired

Have you ever suddenly realized that it is time to go to sleep, but you are not tired at all?


If you lead the life of an average human in terms of sleeping cycles, you are probably awake for 16 hours every day. The other 8 are spent sleeping. There's room for deviation from that, but for now, let's just say you sleep a minute for every two that you're awake. Even when getting the proper amount of sleep every night, you should end your day tired. Ready for more sleep. The less fuel you have left in your figurative tank, the more you can recover during that night's sleep.


Think of what entails being tired at the end of the day. Save for the obvious situation where you just didn't sleep much the night before, there are several positive parallels. You probably worked hard that day. You might have played hard that day. Whatever you did, it took energy to do, enough to make you need to get more when the day is done. Maybe you exercised for a long time, which means you are getting healthier. Maybe you shoveled snow all day so that your family and neighbors didn't have to. More often than not, if your energy was spent, you spent it somewhere worthwhile. Be it for personal entertainment like a day ski trip, or volunteering for the day for a charity, your energy was put to good use.


I hate rolling around wide awake in bed. Not because I am trying desperately to get to sleep and can't, but because it means I didn't use all of the energy I had for that day. I could have done more. I could have helped out more. I could be more easily enjoying my sleep that I am now struggling to get. What's wrong with this picture? If I still have the energy I got back from last night, why would I insist on trying to get back even more? Would the next day be the same, where I don't use it all, and don't sleep as well again? It doesn't matter where you use it, but it matters that you do use the energy that you have each day.


People should make a point to do more with what they have. Carrying things for others, rushing ahead to hold doors open, helping move furniture, taking care of a friend's dog, working harder for a cause that means something to you, and every other activity during the day, regardless of its importance. In fact, you should strive to make it important through putting your best effort into it. Making something out of nothing is not as unrealistic as one might think.


It's 11:24 PM as I write this sentence. I'm tired to a pretty reasonable extent, and I'm happy with that. It means I used up my energy, and am ready to get back as much as I can for tomorrow. Now I just need to go to sleep... And not get distracted just before I do. Someone should shut off the Internet for the night...