I am a perpetually sleepy person. It's part of my personality-- something that makes me, me. The people I surround myself with know I am not pleasant when I am running on less than a solid seven hours of sleep, and they accept me for it.
However, being constantly tired does come with some baggage. It gets hard for me to do things and I fizzle out pretty early in the day. A lot of my spare time is taken up by naps, whether they be between classes or even during classes, depending on how tired I am. Being exhausted truly is exhausting.
Like I said, the people who know me well know that I need my sleep. That doesn't mean, however, that they agree with the amount of sleep I actually require to be a functioning human being.
Here's a list of just a few things that perpetually sleepy people are tired of hearing:
1. "Are you going to bed early enough?"
Of course, I'm not going to bed early enough. I'm a college student. I do try to get to bed so that I get enough hours of sleep to survive the next day, but some nights it just doesn't happen that way.
2. "You're too young to be this tired!"
What? No way! I thought 20 year olds were supposed to fall asleep standing up. Wow, I have been fooled!
3. "Maybe if you just got some more exercise..."
Trust me, if I had time to exercise, I'd do it in a heart beat! Right now, my schedule allows for very little exercise that isn't just walking to and from class. As much as I would love to be at the gym every day, it's just not going to happen.
4. "How do you have time for a nap every day, though?"
Alright, you got me there. I suppose I could be using my nap time for gym time but, when you're as tired as I get, it makes going to the gym a very difficult feat.
5. "Why don't you just drink some coffee?"
Never heard that one before! I drink so much coffee, it's laughable. I'm pretty sure my bloodstream is coffee at this point. Thanks for the advice, though!
6. "You're probably vitamin D/ iron deficient!"
Yeah, you're probably right. There's no denying that one.
7. "Yeah, well I only got (insert small amount of hours) of sleep last night."
Proud of you! Seriously, I am! I do not function on less than seven hours of sleep, and even then I need a nap. However, it's not a competition. Please don't act like it is!
8. "Maybe you have too many things on your plate."
Sure, but isn't that what college is all about? I'm living out my twenties in style-- hazy, exhausted style. I couldn't imagine not doing the things I do, so I'll just suffer through the tired.
Life is a struggle when you're perpetually tired, but it's a struggle that's so worth it. I can't imagine a life where I'm not deliriously tired, and I kind of like it that way! It's a part of me, and it's here to stay.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go take a nap. Writing articles is exhausting!
