Few people realize that this problem actually exists. No, I’m not talking insomnia in general, everyone deals with sleeplessness from time to time. True insomniacs have the opportunity to truly define the struggle I wish to discuss today.
When does tomorrow start?
Well, that is slightly inaccurate, I, like several people I know consider the time between Midnight (local time zone) and the time I fall asleep to be “Tomorrow”. Today then starts when I wake up in the morning.
No, what I am speaking of is the question of “When do I give up on trying to sleep and grab a cup of coffee?”
For many this question is answered by someone else, aka “The Boss” who gives ultimatums like “Be at work at 8AM SHARP or don’t come in at all!” which provides a 7am (depending on traffic) decision point on the eternal question of when to stop trying to sleep.
Others have a more difficult time, but most of us have to deal with this on weekends. Is there an arbitrary time when when should transition from attempt-to-sleep mode to where’s-the-coffee? 6, 7, 8, 9am? Does it vary based on first light? Or perhaps sunrise? If sunrise, how does an overcast day effect things?
Today it’s 6:16am and I just got out of the shower, which is a great place to think up blog posts like this. I still haven’t decided if it was a relaxing hot shower to help me fall asleep for a couple of hours, or a luke-warm shower to wake me up to face the day. (OK, actually the plumbing couldn’t decide that, and I don’t remember what the goal was). Dawn has broken somewhere, but I don’t think the sun has risen yet. So, I lay between the darkness and the light or something to that effect. (Apologies both to the creators of Babylon 5 and Terry Pratchett, both of whom have incorporated similar lines in their works, and I do recommend the Discworld series to anyone who can read).
The more industrious side of me would really, really like to start packing as I’m leaving Thursday morning. The rest of me would very much like to fall asleep. I’m going to try the latter for another half-hour.
