The importance of sleep in a human being’s life can never be underestimated. It is a vital activity—shall we say inactivity—without which a man can feel miserable.
“I could not sleep the whole night, yaar!” is a constant refrain of a good friend who is always walking around with red eyes because of lack of sleep. On the advice of friends he tried to count sheep; silently chanted Ram Nam; tried to read a book before going to bed; watched the comedy channel. Nothing worked! Finally, on medical advice he’s begun having a pill every night to go to sleep. Though he gets some sleep, he says he is lazy, feeling heavy and drowsy, when he has to wake up. A bad start for a working day!
I know of a legendary ad man—may his soul RIP—who was a chronic insomniac. A handsome six footer who was a workaholic—admired and respected by his colleagues—he never slept in the night, throughout his life. Neither could he sleep during the day.
Every morning he would be the first to arrive at the office as fresh as he could be and start the day by distributing handwritten memos that he had prepared working at home all night, addressed to staff members. Surprisingly he was a very healthy man who lived a king’s life and saw over 1000 moons during his lifetime!
Quite unlike one of my bosses who worked in the office during the night to avoid facing his troublesome wife at home, but slept during the day while she was away at work. The habit eventually cost him both his wife and the job!
Many others suffer from temporary bouts of insomnia. Often caused by excessive worry leading to acute stress eventually resulting in sleeplessness. Constant pain in any part of the body can also deny a person the pleasure of embracing the beauty sleep. Dishonest or scheming people who are forever plotting someone’s downfall cannot sleep. There are also lovers who don’t get sleep because they are fantasising about their heartthrobs the whole night.
Unlike the adman who led a normal life in spite of being a chronic insomniac, most others who suffer from sleeplessness are often highly irritable and restless, making life miserable for their near and dear ones. Many can’t sleep in the night if they sleep in the afternoon. I’ve no such problem. On a Sunday, I can have a two-hour nap in the afternoon and still go to bed by 10pm.
For me anytime is sleeping time (touch wood!) When I was young, after a hard day’s work, sleep would embrace me within a few minutes of my hitting the bed. Even if I have a major or minor crisis, all that I have to do is start reading a book before going to sleep. Within half an hour I would find it difficult to keep my eyes open. Throughout my life I have found books to be the best sleeping pill I ever needed.
More than any sleeping pill or other aids, I feel if you have a clear conscience and lead a life without malice towards anyone, embracing sleep when you need it should never be a problem!