The ZZZ Files: A Seven-Night Exploration of Dreams
Sleep is essential for our well-being, providing a vital time for the body and mind to recharge. It comes in different stages, like non-REM and REM sleep, each serving specific functions like physical recovery and memory consolidation. Getting 7–9 hours of sleep is recommended for adults, influencing factors like metabolism and cognitive performance. Adopting good sleep habits and maintaining a consistent routine are key for reaping the benefits of quality sleep.
Over the past week, I embarked on a journey to understand my sleep, inspired by the Dear Data project. Armed with an Excel sheet, I tracked when I went to bed, woke up, dreamt, experienced nightmares, woke up at night, and noted if I felt rested. This adventure helped me see how I sleep each night, showing why it’s crucial to get the recommended hours of sleep and how our bedtime routines affect our overall well-being.
During my childhood, I disliked it when my mom insisted I go to bed by 10 PM. I used to be indifferent about how much sleep I got, just living my life without considering its impact. However, as I grew older, I started recognizing the significant influence that sleep has on my daily life. I began to comprehend why, at times, I felt powerless or sluggish, pondering the importance of a good night’s sleep.
Now that I value having specific bedtimes, I’ve become curious about the amount of sleep I actually get. Understanding the recommended healthy sleep duration, I found it intriguing to track the number of hours I sleep each day for a week. This way, I aim to determine if I meet the criteria for being a healthy sleeper.
Once I had gathered all the necessary information, I translated it into visuals by creating a representation. To effectively track the hours of sleep, I opted for a method involving lengths and a graphical approach. Each day of the week I tracked was represented by a sleeping human figure, and I added heights with lines ranging from 1 to 8 hours, as the healthy range falls between 7 to 9 hours. To symbolize the amount of sleep, I utilized the letter “Z,” forming bars of varying heights. This choice was inspired by its common use in cartoons to depict someone sleeping.
Looking at the whole picture, I was surprised to see that out of 7 days, I had a good night’s sleep for 5 days. This made me understand more about myself, realizing that most of the time, I get the right amount of sleep. I usually feel like I don’t get enough sleep because there’s so much to do before bedtime. But seeing this makes me happy because it shows I can balance my waking and sleeping times well. Now, I aim to make sure I get at least 7 hours of sleep every day.
Yet, this analysis got me thinking about what might be causing variations in my sleep. To complement tracking my sleep hours, I decided to note how often I woke up during the night and document any dreams or nightmares.
As I dived into understanding my sleep routine, I realized that my mood has a say in how smoothly I snooze. On happy days, I tend to enjoy more peaceful nights, but when I’m dealing with sickness, stress, or exhaustion, it’s like my sleep hits a rough patch. Taking a step back and thinking about all of this, this little project not only opened my eyes to my sleep journey but also emphasized how it’s a constantly changing adventure.
I’m not exactly sure where this sleep exploration is leading me, but one thing’s crystal clear — it’s always evolving. It’s like peeling an onion, uncovering more layers and shedding light on the complex relationship between me and my sleep. It’s fascinating, and I can’t wait to see what else this snooze saga has in store for me.
