I flew home from a work trip yesterday, which required setting an alarm for 2:30AM to make sure I got to the airport before a 5:15AM flight.
I knew I needed to sleep, but I didn’t want to sleep through my alarm so I skipped my usualy melatonin and then… didn’t sleep. I can’t remember the last time I stayed up all night, but it’s been years.
I was a mess all day, but I didn’t miss my flights! I went to bed at 7PM, was asleep before 8PM and then woke up around 9AM. That’s 13 hours of sleep, and I’m still tired and sore and generally uncomfortable.
I used to be able to stay up all night, go to work, be productive, get some sleep and be absolutely fine.
That’s the thing about aging. It’s not that I can’t do things; it’s that doing them requires a lot more recovery than it used to.
If you need me, I’ll be snoozing on the couch.