The Science of Sleep

So I go to the VLA conference tomorrow for a couple days, which, you know, it's not quite a vacation, but it is a chance to get away for a bit, maybe see Portsmouth a bit, hopefully see some sessions that aren't just stealth vendors. Except my original roommate isn't going to make it, so instead I have to room with... the Library Director.

I don't tend to sleep very well when I'm away from home anyways, particularly when I'm in a room with someone unfamiliar. I stayed at a friend's apartment in Georgia for a week earlier this month, and that entire vacation was spent with a significant sleep deficit. To be honest, I don't even have an easy time falling asleep when I'm at home: it generally takes anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour for me to actually relax to a point where I can sleep. I'm aware that this isn't normal, and I envy people who can just sort of shut down immediately in such a profound way that I'm sure you could never understand it. And yes, this problem is related to the state of mild anxiety that I tend to live my life in, thanks for letting me know. But my point is that, even with a sleeping pill, I foresee myself waking up several times over the course of tomorrow night, worrying that I might be snoring too loud.

These are the concessions I make, the inconveniences I happily accept, simply because they are part of the glory of being myself.