034 Rest, but Ready
Hey Dog, you sleep in many short spells through the night, so you can rest deeply and still stay ready.
Can we rest deeply and still stay ready?
Can you rest deeply and still stay ready?
A street dog lies curled on a doorstep, eyes shut, deep asleep.
A footstep sounds at the end of the lane. One ear lifts.
What really happens
We humans usually sleep in one long stretch. Dogs do not.
They sleep in many short spells through the night, waking and settling again. This lets them rest and still respond quickly to what is around them.
How we know: Schork and colleagues, Scientific Reports, 2022, measured dogs' night-time sleep in many short bouts.
The turn
Some of us never switch off. Others switch off completely and miss what matters.
The dog finds a middle way: rest fully, wake easily.
Three takeaways
- Rest and readiness can live together.
- Short, real rests are better than none.
- You do not have to be always on to be ready.
Sleep like a dog: deep, short, and ready.
...where one is moderate / In eating and in resting, and in sport; / Measured in wish and act; sleeping betimes, / Waking betimes for duty.