Slow Down and Build Up


Even with motivation shoving your brain around and although deficits will eventually erase themselves, take your time adapting to this. A break now and then will help. Go too fast and your body will stop you. Getting started took me a few weeks.

Don’t Rush That Madly

Panic at the last minute is not why you do this. If you’re stuck with rushing a massive report first thing tomorrow morning and you stay up and get it done, fine for now, but you’ll need to make the sleep deficit up by midday. On the other hand, gradual longer-term restructuring suits circumstances you control.

Final dates, exams, and deadlines sometimes get changed by surprise. Keeping your own pace near the end eases coping with last-minute changes. Even last-minute extensions can be bad news, since having more time means people think they can add to your burden. When you stay in control of yourself, you can afford to be flexible.

Unexpected surprises happen. All kinds. We usually handle them fine. If you get jumpy, your reaction may be wrong or too slow. That makes you a problem. Grab a nap.

If you anticipate having to be up long hours without a break, sneak your sleep before. Or steal it brazenly. It’s your constitutional right.

Deficit Make-Up

Sleep deficits are made up in a few weeks or not at all, I’m told, at least as far as getting extra sleep goes.

Which has an implication. Maybe you make up the whole deficit by functioning less while you’re up. Maybe you get body damage. I don’t know.

But I’ve been ok. It’s a personal judgment.

Build Up in Weeks

Give yourself a few weeks to build up to it. Don’t force-fit a calendar. Stay in touch with your comfort levels, don’t let anyone rush you into it, and don’t start suddenly. Add hours a little at a time. Don’t use mathematical formulas; use your sense of self when adding more uptime.






Build up to slashing sleep over a few weeks, not in one day. Even emergencies need advance planning or you’ll have trouble.




Websites of Interest

These websites have some interesting content, although I disagree with some of it:

Health advice from reliable sources favoring normal sleep:

Other reliable sources:

Opinions, probably from laity:

Other information:

(Sources: All except one of the links to these websites of interest were as accessed , the exception being the link to Tuck, which was accessed or .)