💬 I used to brag about 4 hours of sleep

In my engineering days I was proud of sleeping 4 hours. I used to say it out loud. We had a hostel room with 3 beds in Kothapet and a kettle someone had stolen from a hotel. Maggi at 2am, cricket on a laptop at 3, class at 8:30. I thought I was winning at something. I scored well that semester, but I can't remember a single subject from it. My father used to switch off the hall light at 10 sharp. I took it personally. I'd lie in my room with the phone under the blanket and fight sleep like it was a rival. He'd say, you'll understand one day. I'd say, sure, sure, and go back to the screen. Last week I said that exact sentence to my nephew, who's 17 and rolled his eyes. Now I'm 38 and in bed by 10:30. Phone charging in the other room, fan on 2. When I get 5 hours I can feel it by lunch. I get short with everyone, I forget passwords. Last Monday I put the milk packet in the cupboard and the cereal in the fridge. My wife found it and said nothing for 2 hours. Then she asked, 4 hours last night? I miss that guy a bit. He had so much energy. He also had bad skin and no savings. Yesterday at 9:45 I told my father I was heading to bed. He nodded like it was an achievement. He didn't say I told you so. I could hear him not saying it. My nephew called me old. I was asleep by 10:15, so I'll take it.

The kettle stolen from a hotel made me laugh. In my final year I slept 4 hours a night for 2 weeks before exams and then slept 14 hours straight on the day they ended. My roommate thought I had passed out. It took 3 days to feel normal again.

Mine wasn't sleep, it was food. Hostel life meant Maggi at 2am, and I hated brinjal till I was 30. Then one day my mother made it with peanuts and I asked for more. She nearly dropped the pan. My brother still teases me. He's 33 and eats nothing green except chillies. It does creep up on you, with no warning at all.