6 times when you should go without sleep because YOLO
You’ve probably read article after article about the health benefits of a good night’s sleep. And it’s true! Sleep is very, very good for you. It keeps you focused, helps you regenerate much needed brain cells, and makes your skin glow. But sometimes, there are situations where it’s very worth going without sleep, and most of them center around the well-known truth that you do, in fact, only live once.
Yes, sleep has been shown to make people more attractive. Sleep also helps your immune system, so you can fend off colds and other illnesses. But there are times in life when the reward of no sleep is better than just not having puffy eyes. (You can fix those with some concealer anyway, right?)
1When you’re traveling.
If you have a flight in the morning and you’re still out on the town somewhere exotic and far away, just stay the heck up. No one ever said, “Oh, I really regret those extra four hours in Paris.” Well, maybe they did, but if you’re having a good time seeing the world, don’t ever stop. You can always sleep on the plane.
2When you’re totally inspired.
Staying up all night to cram or finish work is totally uncool and can stress you out. But if you just started writing a really good story or finally got the energy to paint your bedroom in unicorn colors, go for it! When inspiration hits, it hits. Don’t let those creative juices go to waste.
3When your best friend is in town.
We all need to see our people more often. If someone you love is visiting, staying up all night catching up in person and making stupid Boomerang videos is the way to go. Who knows when you’ll get a chance to play with your best friend again? You can sleep tomorrow.
4When you’re having sex.
Friends, if you have a new bed buddy and are up all night doing it, do not worry about your beauty sleep. Obviously, they’re already obsessed with you. Keep at it! You’re burning calories and de-stressing, which is basically what sleep does anyway. Settle for a cat nap between rounds and then get back on it, and by “it” we do mean “them.”
5When you’re Netflix and chilling.
Sometimes a good show is a good show. There is nothing wrong with streaming all of Melrose Place while eating chips and salsa in your bed if that’s what you want to do. Just try to save your insightful tweets about the ’90s till morning. Or not. We said YOLO, right?
6When you have to be there.
If your best friend is going through a breakup and needs to recount every single detail about where and when it went wrong, or has crazy anxiety about work, or is just generally going through some shit, make a pot of coffee and stay on the line. They’d do the same thing for you, right?
Yes, getting a good night’s sleep is good for you. But life is too short to miss out on the good times and sometimes staying up all night and losing sleep actually is self-care. Plus, if you stay up all night, you’ll sleep so much better the next day.
