The loss of physical balance resulting from lack of sleep is my burden too, a consequence of my reckless disrespect for regular sleeping habits. My dad is a stickler for routine; a fixed time to wake up, time to eat, the time we take to eat, my uncle used to count and chew each morsel 32 times (I am not saying we need to go to those extremes), time to sleep, hours of sleep and the list goes on. His obsession with routine was borderline compulsive, to say the least. His obsession was a sore point for all of us. And because he tried to enforce this discipline, all of us opted for a rebellious lifestyle the very day we stepped out of his umbrage. The first thing all of us siblings decided was that we could overlook regular sleep.
And all of us, without exception have some issue or the other which is related to sleep deprivation. Lack of balance or steadiness is one common concern with all of us. We all are groggy and cloudy, lose balance and are prone to injuries. One sibling has narcolepsy and pops endless number of pills. One has weak knees and injures herself with a slip or a fall. I have brittle bones, which is also connected to bad sleep habits. Today, I am grateful to my dad as because of him our health concerns started after we crossed 35years! If we had not followed his script to the letter, we may all have been recovering from injuries in the prime of youth, like the present generations plight.
Burning the midnight oil is the new normal. Sleeping through the day, staying up into wee hours of the morning is natural. For the brave who challenge the early to bed, early to rise philosophy, the last two lines can easily be changed to, makes that person grumpy, wobbly and full of sighs. It is no surprise, our children who are in the prime of their youth, are facing health concerns arising due to sleep deprivation, and the mental worries follow soon. All the young adults in my family seem to be injury prone. Without exception, all of them challenge sleep. None of them acknowledge that sleep is the issue. Even if they do acknowledge that sleep habit needs to be improved and regularized, they are unable to do anything to make the change. Very sadly, their peers, friends and associates also do not give sleep, or the lack of it, a second thought.
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