Sleep deprivation

I should probably go to bed earlier on Sunday nights because on Mondays I am often so tired that I just drift through the day. Yesterday evening I was really tired and went to bed at 9.30pm. Admittedly I did read the paper for a bit but the light was out just gone 10pm and although I did wake up a few times during the night I basically slept right through to 7am – and felt so much better for it.

I read an article recently about the effect of sleep on the first couple of hours after we have woken up. Basically, we are far more likely to have accidents and other mishaps within the first two hours and in particular within the first few minutes. Until about five years ago I used to drive to work and I look back now and wonder what impact it had on my driving ability. Despite all the jokes about women drivers I am actually a very good driver and can park without any problem at all as well. Perhaps that compensated for driving early in the morning.

I have a friend who cannot remember a time when she has slept for more than one or two hours a night. She lives on Diet Coke and whilst it probably helps to keep her going, I suspect it also contributes to the lack of sleep. However, as she doesn’t really eat anything else, to cut it out of her diet would mean she’d pretty much be living on air. The thought of having so little sleep would fill me with horror. Although to be honest I don’t think she is too thrilled by it either.

There is also evidence to suggest that sleep deprivation is the most effective form of torture. If you deprive someone of sleep for long enough then they will reach a point where the person being interrogated will agree to pretty much anything in order to be allowed to sleep. I think I would cave very easily.

I have to work this weekend, which means starting work at 7am on Saturday. But to start at 7am, I therefore need to get there at 6.30am in order to do a handover with the person who has been working overnight. That therefore means I have to get up at about 5.30am so that I am awake enough to hold a coherent conversation (or dressed for that matter). I have no idea how they expect me to be on good form at such a ridiculously early hour of the morning and remain functional all day until I finish at 6pm. I am not relishing this prospect. I think it must be some kind of human rights infringement to expect me to get out of bed so early – particularly for no pay. I am already feeling sleep deprived at the very thought of it.