Somnolent Criticality: Why I Can't Just "Fall" Asleep
[Written in response to the prompt: “Is ‘doing nothing’ a good use of your time?”] It’s ten in the evening. I draw the curtains in my room as I prepare for bed. The rings slide across the curtain rod with a rattling swish just loud enough to be uncomfortable. My bed is only semi-well made, with the blanket and sheet drooping down over one corner, almost hitting the floor. I try my best to shift the entire arrangement back into an even position before shutting off the lights and climbing in. It’s been a long day. My only hope is to actually get eight hours in this time and wake up refreshed tomorrow. But let’s be honest, that probably won’t happen. I consider myself to be a pretty sound sleeper. Once I’m knocked out, it takes a decent amount of effort to wake me up. The bigger problem for me is falling asleep in the first place. I’m not an insomniac, but it still usually takes me at least half an hour to go to sleep every night u...