Buzz
I’ve spent many nights up for things that didn’t really matter. Sometimes it’s a poor choice, like trying to finish an assignment when I’m too tired to concentrate. But usually, it just happens: I’m already watching Netflix, so I keep watching. I wanted to read a book this evening, but now it’s the only time I can.
It’s surprisingly hard to realize these bad decisions in the moment. Late at night, I feel alert. After all, I’m a night owl! It’s not until the next morning that I feel the groggy regret. So, I’ve begun asking myself a simple question, inspired by Amy Bender, a professor at the University of Calgary who studies sleep and performance: Would I wake up early to do this?
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If something is truly important, or if it won’t take much time—then yes, I’d probably wake up early for it. I used to stay up late finishing papers for school; I knew a morning person who would go to bed at a reasonable hour and set his alarm for an ungodly early time to finish his work instead. That works too. (He probably produced better work in the morning than I did at night.)
But for the most part, this question simply brings a glaringly obvious truth into the light: you’re making a poor choice. No, I wouldn’t set my alarm earlier just to spend an hour watching a mediocre movie and knitting. When the answer is obviously no, it’s time to go to bed.
