How Things Alter Us
What I’ve learned about what makes self-change possible
I’m a quarter of my way through the book Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker. I began reading it in November, at the onset of the busiest time of the year, perfectly aware I was five books behind my reading schedule and that forcing myself to read such an information-heavy non-fiction book ultimately meant there’d be no way I was going to meet this year’s reading goal.
So why did I insist? Why was it so important for me to read it as soon as possible?
Because, in the new year, I hope to finally fix my sleep. I say “finally” because I’ve been trying. See, I used to sleep like a rock, but these days I rarely enjoy deep, uninterrupted sleep. I wake up at least once in the middle of the night. I’ve been dreaming more and I’m worried that means I’ve become a light sleeper. Then there’s the reality that, apparently, I’m no longer an early twenty-something. Nor am I capable of functioning optimally with only six hours of sleep like I used to.
I’ve googled sleep advice. I’ve taken a peek at the appendix of Why We Sleep where the author shares a list of tips for healthy sleep. I’ve set an alarm for bedtime, scheduled the Quiet Mode on my Instagram. In an ideal world, I’d be settled in bed by 10 PM like a dutiful airplane passenger preparing for take-off…
