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We're sleeping in our drawers againby Melvin Durai, 2004-08-31 http://MelvinDurai.com Other columns by Melvin Durai Eight hours of sleep. That's what we need each night -- or so we've been told. I don't know who came up with the magical number, but it's probably the same scientist who determined that humans should drink eight glasses of water a day. Ask him at what age children should be toilet-trained and the answer will leap off his tongue: "Eight." Of course, eight hours of sleep is just an average. Some people manage on just four or five hours, others need as many as ten, and a few exceptional people are always asleep. (If you want to meet some expert sleepers, just attend the national political conventions. Many folks have figured out the benefit of holding a large sign: You can snooze behind it.) My sleep requirements are simple: If I've had eight hours, I'm in a good mood for an entire day. If I've had six, I'm in a good mood for a few hours. If I've had less than four, I'm in a good mood for a few minutes -- while I'm killing the person who woke me up. Unfortunately, sleep-deprivation is a growing problem, thanks to our hectic lifestyles and the ever-present distractions of television, the Internet and spouses who can't get enough of us. As a result, many people go to work tired and frustrated, realizing that they're bound to fail the biggest challenge of the day: keeping their eyes open. Their lack of sleep diminishes their mental and physical abilities. They make mistakes at work, cause accidents on the road, and have trouble remembering vital information, such as their own names. Some of them are virtual sleepwalkers; if you touch them, they'll groan and say, "Not tonight, honey." That reminds me of the Maryland woman who recently called 911 to report a possible intruder at her home -- someone was scratching on her window pane. She soon heard another ominous sound: snoring. The operator, poor guy, had slept only an hour between shifts and if that wasn't bad enough, the darn phone kept ringing. Couldn't people be more considerate and call the police directly? Perhaps the worst part of sleep-deprivation is its impact on your health. It puts more pressure on your immune system and can contribute to other health problems, including heart disease and diabetes. And if you still aren't convinced, just imagine the health consequences of forgetting your spouse's birthday. So how do you get more sleep? Well, for starters, you can try going to bed an hour or two earlier. Just take a classic novel with you -- Herman Melville's "Moby Dick," for example -- and you'll be asleep in no time. Taking several naps during the day may also help, as millions of government workers have shown. They don't just get enough rest, their productivity increases substantially. "By taking naps at work," one worker said, "I'm far more productive at home." Almost everybody can afford a 20-minute nap during lunch, but who in his right mind feels sleepy at lunch? The sleepiness usually comes AFTER lunch. If you work in a private office or cubicle and your boss doesn't check on you much, you can take a quick nap under your desk, or, if you're short enough, inside one of your drawers. Just try not to disturb your co-workers with your snoring. They need their sleep, too. You may also want to take a cue from those government workers and leave a sign outside your door: "Wake me up when it's quitting time."
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