Right now, -20 looks pretty inviting.
As I was finishing writing last night, our daughter woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. She probably had a bad dream or something and then realised that her room is a sauna. It took about three hours to get her back to sleep and that meant, she would be up in another two hours which is all the sleep I got.
Sleep is a funny thing as there are obviously recommendations about how much is needed but, like all recommendations, the reality is a bit different. People need varying amounts of sleep and the way they perform on too little, too much or just enough can swing quite heavily. I have always wondered how much of it is programmed into us.
I find that in Finland people have clothing for every variation of weather conditions, clothes that are purposed for quite narrow degree ranges. When it is 0 it is this jacket, -5 another, +5 another. If it is raining or sunny, another set is required. It is a type of luxury isn't it? What I notice though is people who do this are much more sensitive to the cold or the heat and their body doesn't cope well when the clothes worn don't fit the conditions.
I see sleep as somewhat the same. Often parents take the "Shhh, the baby is sleeping" approach and then wonder why they wake up to every slight noise. Again, this seems an experience issue in Finland as the homes are generally very quiet because of double, triple and quadruple glazed windows that keep the sounds of the outside, outside.
When it comes to the amount of sleep an individual requires, I think this too is training and when there is an hour less than normal, it is very noticeable in some people as their performance drops significantly. There have been tests shown that driving tired is akin to driving somewhat drunk and in some cases, worse. But, what about with training?
There are obviously limits to all things but I think that most people oversleep thinking that they are doing their body a service when in fact, they are reducing their capabilities. Most of us have been trained to sleep in an industrial revolution cycle, meaning that we sleep to fit in with work schedules; one large sleep shift. But in my experience, as I have changed from this to a shorter amount of sleep and a nap caught here or there, I have become much more productive and, I require less sleep in total.
The problem of course is that society hasn't been set up to accommodate this kind of sleep rhythm however, that is changing. For example, writing on Steem has released me from the 9 to 5 type of industrial limitation and this is further enhanced by the fact that it is global. This means that I am free to write when I choose and sleep when I choose. Well, I still have a 'real' job with my company where normal working hours are very much enforced by common practice but, the idea is there.
As more and more people break away from the traditional working cycles, I predict that their sleeping rhythms will follow suit and if they are paying attention, they could find that they develop a pattern that is much more useful to them and, much healthier for their position. Rather than being set into the mould, they are able to fashion their own.
This is a type of freedom that many people do not consider and even though they might say things like, "I can work when I want", the implications of that may mean that the when they want could be more than before and, the hours they spend doing it more productive than before.
It is never great to be forced to work when very tired however, at times it is necessary and at those times, it is beneficial to be one of those who are more flexible with skills less affected by the variation in sleep time. It is perhaps reminiscent of adaptability to change as an indicator of intelligence. It is also similar to the idea of people needing to feel good to be able to work.
As I see it, the more conditions we need to have met to be able to perform well, the less likely we are able to perform well as the chances of meeting them go down exponentially with each additional condition. I see this as the same for the conditions of happiness where people are not happy unless this happens or that doesn't. They tie their happiness to conditions and most of the time, those conditions are not within their locus of control.
Everyone has their own thoughts about these things and some people tend to feel very strongly about them but, I observe that more and more people are conditioned to require increasing rules in order to act. Many are less likely to act because, the conditions aren't favourable for them without recognising that due to their list of demands, the chances of favourable conditions aligning is slim to none. The timing is never right for many people.
I think those who have really discovered what they want to do, what they are truly passionate about and what gives them purpose in their life, are much less tied down and much more likely to realise that; no matter what the conditions, there are always steps that can be taken.
No matter if there is rain , sun, sleep, no sleep, rich, poor, happy, sad, depressed, anxious or any other life situation, there is is always a possibility to be ones best, even if that best isn't as good as when the stars align and all conditions are met.
Taraz
[ a Steem original ]