It’s been a while since I last posted an update on the challenge, so here goes…
When I last left you, I had reached a perfect sleep record for 79 hours straight. Turns out the reason I couldn’t keep to it was that I got sick. There was a cold snap in Perth when one day it was temperatures in the 30 degree (Celsius) range, then the next it was down to maximums of 10. It just caught me off guard and I wasn’t wearing warm enough clothes or putting the heater or fire on.
I ended up being sick with a head cold for about a week after that and it took me another week to recover. I’m pretty certain the reason it stuck around for so long was because of my not adapting my clothes quick enough, rather than possibly having a depressed immune system. Normally when I have a depressed immune system and I get a cold it goes to my throat then to my chest, but that didn’t happen (Thankfully!!).
I guess you could put some of the responsibility down to the sleep challenge – basically I’m up during the coldest part of the day, when I never have before. I’ve always been in a warm bed when it’s been bitterly cold, but now I’m up and about. That requires a huge shift in mindset.
Now before you say 10 degrees Celsius isn’t cold, consider that Perth just came off a record 150+ consecutive days over 30 degrees. It’s been hot. We don’t have air conditioning, so I was accustomed to the heat. That makes such a dramatic change really tough.
On the sleep side of things, I’ve now gone 48 hours since I’ve had more than a nap. It’s a tough road back, having to go through the adjustment phase all over again, but I know there are great things on the other side. Today and tomorrow are going to be hell, but if I can push through them I’ll be back in business.