There’s this old Dunkin Donuts commercial where an alarm buzzes at an ungodly hour of the morning. A man opens his eyes and says, “Time to make the donuts,” before dragging himself out of bed and to work in a haze. Those 30 seconds perfectly encapsulate how I feel most days—wake up groggy, work all day, fall into bed for a restless night of sleep. Rinse and repeat.
Recently, sleep has been anything but refreshing. I’m anxious when I crawl into bed. When I’m not well-rested, I’m useless the next day, fighting brain fog and an unproductive malaise. My mind spirals as I worry that I won’t be able to string together a few consecutive hours of sleep, making it hard to relax and actually fall asleep. When I wake up, my muscles and joints are cranky in a way that’s different from the aftermath of a good workout or even age.
According to a recent Gallup poll, more than half of Americans say they need more sleep, especially women. Most people in the poll also said they were stressed, which creates a vicious cycle, making it harder to sleep.
What Is Sleepmaxxing?
For anyone who has experienced a…
