I know this stuff. I’ve read Matthew Walker’s book, Why We Sleep, from cover to cover (twice).

I’ve even taken a Harvard online course on sleep. And yet, there I was last night tossing and turning, endlessly, unable to stay asleep. I had overdone it with my workout yesterday and several muscle groups were aching, making it difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position.

This time it was too much exertion on the movement side. Other times it can be eating too much before bed, or having alcohol or caffeine too late in the evening. Or perhaps having a lot on my mind and not dealing with it before hitting the hay.

Getting an adequate quantity and quality of sleep is a super power. Amongst others, it

✅ promotes creativity.

✅ helps us to absorb new information faster.

✅ allows us to think rationally instead of reacting emotionally.

Likewise, not getting enough can leave us lacking energy and focus and undermining our performance during the day. Longer term, it can lead to more serious problems, like weight gain, heart conditions, depression and anxiety, and even dementia.