Putting both contacts in one eye … almost mistaking nail glue for contact solution … going to sleep and forgetting the dogs were outside in the cold … putting the dust pan in the refrigerator — and the milk on the floor near the broom … looking for my glasses and wearing two pairs on my head … finding the butter in the dish cabinet … wearing a terrific suit and two different black pumps … and finally — going through the drive thru for coffee and ordering from the trash can.
This is what it is, a classic case of insomnia. You may think it is a joke, but it’s not. More than 90 million Americans admit to not having proper sleep and that this habit causes them problems every now and then.
I can see you nodding.
The issue of sleep is problematic because our sleep is inextricably linked with our ability to make better decisions in emergency situations and on occasions when we have limited knowledge on our hands.
One may think that staying vigil actually sharpens your decision making ability, but even Batman would have failed to retain his sanity in the real world considering his day-to-day activities.
I mean think about it:
- He is up every night putting himself in high-risk situations
- He sustains injuries and escapes death all the time
- During his fast-paced bouts, he also has to deal with stress of civilian causality (sometimes involving those near and dear to him)
- He has to show up at work every now and then
Considering this regime, even the bad-ass Bruce Wayne would become demented. We have a real-life example in Nikola Tesla.
In an earlier blog post, we have discussed what is known as decision-making fatigue in the legal system. Our minds are hard-wired to take the toughest decisions in the morning, where the serotonin levels are at an all-time high. And as the day progresses, the serotonin starts to decline and our mind doesn’t want to make any decisions at all.
Now consider the example of the judiciary where judges have to deal with a significant amount of information, just consider how decision fatigue will affect you when there you have to manage with little or no information.
Hence, do yourself a favor and get some sleep. Because if don’t, your mind will start to shut itself down, sometimes at the wrong moment, such as when you are driving a car in the fast lane etc.
So, in order to keep your random decision-making instincts in pristine condition follow these simple tips to improve your sleep:
Set a Bed-Time
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this is the time you should be in bed every day
Set a Cut-Off Time
In order to stay true to your bedtime, you need to have a cut-off time as well. This is when the TV is off, Facebook is logged out, and your phone is kept away. Think this is impossible? Read how successful businessmen do this.
Relax Yourself
Finally and most importantly, you should relax. This can be done through herbal tea, wine, prayer, meditation, reading, or soft music. Whatever it takes to calm your nerves, do it!