The greatest perk of holiday weekends is the chance to sleep late. I may have a delayed sleep phase disorder. It is a phenomenon where an individual ends up falling asleep after the normal bedtimes of most folks. For years, I believed I suffered from insomnia. Aren’t we all supposed to nod off at 10 pm and rise eight hours later? The problem is, I hit my second wind around nine and don’t become tired enough to relax and snooze until well after midnight. But having to conform to social norms requires me to set my alarm for 5 am.

Thanks to technology, I have monitored, logged, and tracked my sleep schedule. It turns out, when left to wake naturally, my regular cycle lasts six hours and twenty minutes. I routinely start projects after nine in the evening and can continue until one or two in the morning. Contrary, what most might think, staying up late does not mean I am wasting time watching tv or playing video games. Instead, these are great opportunities for grocery shopping, doing laundry, cleaning the house, and writing. If I am on a roll, I may opt to work past what I consider my normal bedtime and finish when others are waking. This leaves me with a tough decision — do I try to get some sleep or push to stay awake?

The beauty of a holiday is I can allow my natural circadian rhythms to dictate my schedule. The added benefit is, my endless list shrinks, I complete multiple items, my mood improves, and I don’t feel as exhausted. I appreciate my morning coffee more, and the world feels a little less annoying.

What do you enjoy about long weekends?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer