Vol 2. Why can’t I wake up early?

Have you ever asked the above question to yourself?

Well, I used to ask this question quite often.

Over years through colleges and jobs

& through times easy and hard,

I have observed certain patterns.

The simplest answer is fairly obvious,

The inability to sleep early regularly.

Even if I wanted to sleep early, I usually couldn’t.

And I observed that simplest things in life,

are the hardest to implement & follow through.

In this letter I explore my own struggles with sleep and early mornings.

Why do I wake up late?

I observed the following reasons.

• Why should I wake up early at this ungodly hour(*yawning)
• Ahh, the early morning nap is the beeesst.
• I woke up; but a 5 minute delay turned into 30 minutes
• I’m too cozy with my girlfriend who slept over last night ;)
• I don’t need to start my day early
• I’m unwell.
• I slept late
• I’m too overwhelmed with anticipated stress, let me overthink
• I’m depressed, I can’t move my arms and legs

Are there anymore reasons I could think of?

I’m sure you have your own reasons.

Meditate on those for a few minutes.

Observe the reasons you find for your own delays in waking up.

Why do I sleep late?

Isn’t this is a norm among the urban youth?

My reasons for sleeping late are

• I return home late (from nowhere in particular)
• I’m not tired enough
• I’m scrolling 9Gag relentlessly
• I’m binge watching some show on Netflix
• My girlfriend is in town
• I’m pretending to work
• I definitely have a lot of work
• I’m catching up with friends
• I had work, now I’m spending time with family
• I worked quite hard all day, I need to relax
• I’m out drinking with friends/ family
• Reading the latest lockdown regulations
• I’m eating out
• I’m writing this right now at 11:15PM.

Whereas I’m already very sleepy.

But why did I stay awake late tonight?

It was for achieving some personals goals.

Why do I talk like an old man?

I changed sometime in 12021.

I don’t remember when,

But it happened sometime during my backpacking days in Feb or March.

Reflections

What makes me a special creature on this earth?

Why do I need to stay awake late?

Is it really that important, or even critical?

When even the birds sleep after the sunset,

when its unsafe out there on the street,

when it’s time for the mind to rest and meditate.

Why should I do anything hampers my sleeping patterns.

Aren’t I supposed to be an animal?

Governed by the circadian rhythm.

Aren’t I supposed to be a human?

The master of my own body.

Who said that,

“Early to bed, early to rise,
Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”

I guess ambition isn’t a bad thing,

yet everything should be practiced in moderation.

Even efforts and sleep,

each have their own place for a balanced life.