Being able to fall asleep anywhere, anytime is a useful skill, especially if you travel a lot or work odd schedules. But that’s not necessarily a good thing — it’s also a sign of being chronically sleep-deprived.
If you’re exhausted all day long, you don’t need me to tell you there’s something wrong with your sleep. But it’s possible for people who don’t get enough sleep to feel alert most of the time, and then zonk out the minute they get a little peace and quiet.
Sleep health questionnaires often ask you to imagine being in certain situations, and to say how likely you are to fall asleep. (Here’s a typical one.) How often do you fall asleep watching TV? On an hour-long car ride? Lying down to rest in the afternoon? If all of these are sleep traps for you, it’s possible you’re not getting enough sleep at night.
That could be for reasons you can control, like choosing to stay up late, or reasons you can’t, like having a medical issue that interferes with your sleep. We’re not saying it’s bad to nap, but it’s not a superpower to consistently fall asleep the second you have a chance to relax.
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One response to “Why It’s Not Good To Be The Person Who Can Fall Asleep Anywhere”
As a regular work traveller, I always said if I wrote a book a about it one chapter would be called “Embracing Narcalepsy”.
If there’s one thing I can do well after all these years is fall asleep in the oddest places.
Of course it can be worrying, like falling asleep in the car while waiting for a light to go Green, and yes I was driving the car. Thank god for hand brakes.