Dubai: If I told you I sleep for 18 to 20 hours every Saturday, would you believe me? Highly unlikely. Because when I told my colleagues, it was greeted with disbelief — albeit with a tinge of jealousy.
When I first revealed this well-kept secret, I was bombarded by a flurry of questions like: “How can you..?”, “Why do you..?” with one colleague even saying, “I wish I could also sleep like that.”
But before I answer the why and the how, here’s a question I’m sure any of you would want answered first: “Don’t I feel super lethargic and inactive after a deep hibernation?” On the contrary, I feel more refreshed than ever.
Why do I even do this? There’s no other way to put it or undersell this – I love my sleep – maybe even more so than anyone who loves to sleep but still can’t stretch their quota beyond the usual eight, nine or even 10 hours.
So if there is one thing I look forward to, it’s the paradise I feel in my chilled dark room and a cosy bed, with an Egyptian cotton, 1,000-thread count bedsheet. But before a good night (and all-day) sleep, I have one rule; it’s to tire myself out by having an extremely exhausting week.
Is that unhealthy? No doubt. But to shut down mentally for an entire day comes at a cost. Like with many others, the word ‘shut down’ has several interpretations, and I too have my version.
Although I’m a journalist, I’m embarrassed to admit I’m a victim of social anxiety, so one can imagine the stress I put on my over-thinking brain, and how thin I stretch my mental capacity during the course of the week. I’m sure a lot of you can relate.
It’s not only tiring, but it’s also unavoidable in my line of work. Some days, it’s so bad that I can’t even get words out or talk to my family without mentally imploding. Although I’ve come a long way in conquering this, after having been in the field for over a decade. For such a person, a day of minimal social contact is pure bliss.
That’s not all. I get worked up in any public-setting — so you can imagine how prone I am to triggers of angst and panic. So going into hibernation-mode for a person like me, is I would agree (if not anyone else) – a well-deserved break from social cues.
But it’s not just sleeping. The day (at least the time not spent sleeping) is dedicated to me-time activities like devouring exotic meals (fancy foods that I generally avoid splurging on through the week) and binge watching on Netflix – all that involves minimal movement.
When it comes to the shows I watch on Netflix, I have a few shows that I keep rewatching, mainly because I can't handle the 'stress' of a new show. The usual shows that I can never seem to get enough of are Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Full House, Mr. Iglesias, Friends, Kim's Convenience, Somebody Feed Phil, Sam & Cat and The Ranch. I have to say that I've lately also been enjoying Manifest, Lucifer, Suits and The Good Doctor.
What’s the secret to having a ‘sleep-eat-Netflix-repeat’ routine and how do I get away with such a lifestyle? It’s the fact that I don’t have a family here, and only a handful of friends (who get what I do)!
Do I recommend such a sedentary lifestyle? Probably not. But if you can afford it, do it. Happy (sloth) sleeping!
