Hi there, and welcome to our quick guide on why sleep is overrated.
If this is your first time on this blog, I should say I’m a huge fan of sleep. I cherish it, research it, and of course I write a lot about it.
Clearly I’m not the best person to explain to you why sleep is overrated.
Instead, we have a special surprise. This will be a guest article.. Introducing our author, it’s John the Jackass!
What’s up hot stuff. The name’s John. I’m a bonafide badass (Jimmy clearly spelt it wrong) and I’m here to explain why sleep is overrated.
Sleep is for the weak. We’ll sleep when we’re dead. Instead, I live my life without sleep – wired on energy drinks, adrenaline, and the odd substance or two. Of course I crash now and then (sometimes me, sometimes my car – who cares) – but for the most part I’m travelling at lightspeed baby.
Let me break down this complete timewaster of a thing called sleep.
I’ve broken down why sleep is overrated into lots of simple explanations. Follow along and learn to be less like yourself, and more like me.
- Attractiveness. Being tired is proven to make us look worse to others. But who cares? Everyone knows it’s not about what’s on the outside but on the inside. As soon as that hot person in your office gets to speak to your tired, coffee-fueled self they’re sure to be wooed by your lovely and totally sane personality!
- Focus. One of the first things to get lost when you don’t sleep is your ability to focus or concentrate. It’s a good thing that you don’t actually need to get anything done today, and can instead spend the time checking your phone and impressing people with how little you slept last night.
- Health. Immune systems rely on a lot of sleep to keep your shields running high. But when you’re such an awesome person, you’ll never get ill anyway. The MASSIVE increase in getting heart disease, dementia, and cancer? Pfft. Live every day like it was your last.
- Driving. Did you know that driving while tired is almost as bad as driving drunk, in terms of crash likelihood? If that isn’t cool, then I don’t know what is. You’re pretty much legally drunk driving! Keep living every day like it’s your last, since it really might be (for you and those innocent people crossing the road).
- Mood Swings. Hasn’t anyone ever told you not to be boring? By running on low sleep, no-one’s going to know if you’re going to burst out in laughter, get angrier than the hulk, or start crying! It’s a fun rollercoaster that keeps life full of endless possibilities.
- Insatiable Appetite. Did you know that tiredness screws up your hunger and fullness hormones? That’s right, you get more hungry AND can’t tell when you’re full! If weight gain is your goal, then sleep is super overrated.
- Willpower. Your willpower is like a battery, and it gets recharged by sleep every night. But you are a king or queen, so why do you need willpower? This world is made to serve YOU, so keep your willpower low and demand whatever comes to mind. Whether that’s skipping work, buying more donuts, or buying those $300 sneakers online. Who cares!
- Comfort. Rest and relaxation? You’re no weakling. Everyone can keep their comfy, cozy beds – you’ll take a desk chair and inability to concentrate in the late evening hours any day. Your muscles can’t remember what it’s like to be truly relaxed, and that’s truly hardcore.
- Sex Drive. With all of this other stuff going on – your exciting mood swings, uncaring attitude, and questionable decisions, you’re going to be irresistible to the opposite sex. The good news is your sex drive plummets when you’re super tired. This means only the most determined of suitors will be able to get your attention – and why would we waste our time with anyone who isn’t willing to try hard for us?
See? Switching off is only for the weak. Live life on the wild side with me at 5am on a Tuesday night. It’s wild!
What Might Actually Be Overrated
Thanks, John.. I’m sure everyone gets it now.
Of course, there are some genuine reasons why sleep might be overrated. I’ve looked into two key ways why getting more sleep might be overrated:
Oversleeping
The one thing that might ACTUALLY be overrated when it comes to sleep, is oversleeping.
There’s plenty of evidence building to prove that sleeping too much can be harmful to us. Almost like the reverse version of being too tired. Some of the proven side effects of sleeping too much (classed as more than 9 hours) are:
- Higher risk of health issues (obesity, diabetes, stroke, etc)
- Higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease
- Worsening memory
- Worsening concentration
- Increased risk of depression, and of it becoming persistent: around 15% of depressed people oversleep.
- Increased inflammation (linked to everything from heart disease to dementia)
Doesn’t quite make for fun reading, does it!
So in this case, chronic oversleeping definitely is overrated. This doesn’t mean you should be scared to lie-in on the weekends – this won’t do much damage.
The real risk here is that you’re having a lie-in to catch up on a poor sleep schedule from during the week.
Sleeping 7-9 Hours
There is a genuine argument that sleeping 7-9 hours a night could be overrated. That argument is only if you do one certain type of behavior, and even then – it’s not entirely conclusive.
Can you guess what the behavior is?
It’s about taking something. No, not a pill. Not a trip. Just three letters. It’s taking a…SPOILER: Nap! The health benefits of naps are about as plentiful as the ones of actual sleep itself. Nap takers are often more alert, more relaxed, happier, more focused, and less stressed. For them, a good nap routine may be able to counteract the need for a long night’s sleep.
If you’re able to squeeze a long nap during the day (45 minutes is ideal), then a full 8 hours in bed may actually be overrated for you. Especially if the time could be better spent elsewhere (ie a morning run vs a lie in).
This isn’t a doctor’s advice and is completely dependent on you. I just wanted to include the one scenario that is potentially, arguably, one where sleep is overrated.
Conclusion
Now John the Jackass may disagree with me, but I can wholeheartedly say that sleep is almost never overrated.
Sleep literally makes you smarter, happier, less stressed, more attractive, and much healthier.
It’s the secret to high performance, making friends, getting dates, and living the good life. If all that sounds overrated to you, then may I point you towards your nearest crack addict den!
I hope this quick guide by me and John has helped clear up whether sleep is overrated for you.
Want to learn more about the amazing benefits of sleep? Then check out some of the related articles below.
Thanks for reading. Sleep well.