“Why can’t I sleep?” asks my heaving mailbag as a pandemic continues to ravage the world, our economy collapses and Bake Off is over for another year.
It doesn’t help that we already live in a world where sleep is regarded almost as a weakness — and burning the candle at both ends, being extra-productive and nonstop partying (remember that?) are synonymous with success and living life to the full. You snooze, you lose, according to the meaningless aphorism.
In fact missing sleep won’t just make you far less productive, but — sorry to be a bit dramatic here — it might even kill you. I don’t mean you’ll stumble bleary-eyed onto an A-road, but persistent lack of sleep is thought to be associated with