You are delusional
It’s tempting to think you’ve got superhuman powers that let you function with little sleep. But this way of
thinking isn’t doing you any favors, says Robert S. Rosenberg, DO, medical director of the Sleep Disorders Center of Prescott Valley and Flagstaff in Arizona.
Dr. Rosenberg says this thinking is called “BIISS” or behaviorally induced insufficient sleep syndrome. “This way of thinking and the related self-imposed lack of sleep results in unnecessary stress on the body and mind.” And while a woman suffering from BIISS might trick her brain into thinking she doesn’t need sleep, her body, on the other hand, truly does need it. And that’s where things get out of whack.
“This thinking can be very harmful to the normal sleep-wake cycle which needs to include approximately 7 to 9 hours of sleep. It begins to alter your normal circadian rhythms, or your sleep-wake schedule, and can be very difficult to get it back to normal,” says Dr. Rosenberg.
The fix: Stop trying to be a hero. Look yourself in the eye and give yourself permission to be tired and get a good night’s sleep.