This content has been automatically translated from Ukrainian.
Earlier, my favorite little challenge was the game – how little I sleep, but how much I manage to do. I believed that the body's need for eight hours of sleep was a bug that definitely needed to be bypassed, because I could be productive and do something all that time. I grew up on toxic productivity, admired workaholics, and wanted to be the same. So I was constantly looking for different ways and sleep schemes that would help me shorten the time spent on this "meaningless" activity. Caffeine also actively helped with this.
Did I sleep little and manage to do more? Of course. Did it lead to negative consequences? Not immediately; they started catching up with me only a year or two ago. But I'm still dealing with it: constant emotional and physical fatigue, professional burnout, anxiety, and active self-flagellation for any kind of rest – that's what I have to fight against every day.
Do I have to return to the minimum sleep + caffeine scheme now? Yes, sometimes. But now I understand that in those moments I am borrowing energy from myself. Because caffeine does not add strength. It simply blocks adenosine – the substance that informs the brain about fatigue. So you don't become more energetic; you just don't feel tired for a while. Later, it hits harder, so you will have to spend much more time recovering.
So, sleep is the time to recharge the body and mind. If you want to be very productive, just remember that during those "meaningless" hours, important processes are actually taking place:
- the nervous system is updated;
- stress hormones decrease;
- the immune system becomes stronger;
- memory consolidates important information.
Well, there is a lot of work. So I beg you:
Choose sleep. 7–8 hours is basic self-care. After emotional and active events, during illnesses, etc., you need more. Schedule this time for rest in your calendar if you are a very busy person)
If it’s hard during work/study, it’s better to nap for 20 minutes if possible. But no more, definitely force yourself to get up afterward.
And most importantly – don't punish yourself for fatigue. Our body has thought everything through well; if there is fatigue – it's a signal that recovery is needed. It's simple. If you already feel constantly tired, you are taking on too much in your daily life.
So, shall we go to sleep?
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