We track our sleep now

In this podcast interview with Moira Weigel surveying the landscape of dating apps, and looking back at the history of “dating” – how women joining the workforce changed the nature of courtship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, one idea in particular stood out to me. 

Measurement. 

We are trying to make everything into a kind of work. We measure exercise and movement, calorie intake, all in an attempt to make our lives better. 

The notion of the “side hustle”, where your hobby is converted into another way to make money; what is left that is just for enjoyment?

But it was this quote (which I listened to at 2.5x speed after checking my Fitbit) – “…we track our sleep now to optimize it.”

Maybe because I was aware of more specifics than “I’d had a restless night”, and that “I slept 3:47 last night” instead. 

Sleep becomes fuel for health and wellness, not something that is a part of life to be enjoyed. 

I’m fairly confident that the things I’m doing are worthwhile, and so optimising them is a good idea. 

But I don’t want to lose the joy of the activities in the quest to make the most of time. 

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