............ and sleep!

We need it, we love it and when we are not getting good sleep then we really know about it in how we feel all day long. I think it is a bit like drinking lots of water in that way.

When we were kids we never appreciated it did we? We would hate to go to bed and do everything in our powers to draw out the day. As teenagers we would stay up late and lie in late to make sure we had enough. As people get older it often seems harder and harder to get a good night.

My own sleep pattern is pretty regular, and I'm a pretty good sleeper. When the light goes out, so do I, virtually every night. I tend to sleep deeply for about 5 or 6 hours and then seem to toss and turn a little as my mind resurfaces and thoughts begin to dance around. Depending on the season, the early mornnig sun coming into my room can exacerbate that. However, I'm lucky, as I said, because I know a lot of people have trouble getting good sustained sleeps and they have my sympathy.

Why this, why now? Well, I'm currently suffering from jet-lag. I'm out in Japan as I write, on a business trip and it has really screwed with my sleep routine. This was not unexpected as it has played out pretty similar to my previous visits to the Land of the Rising Sun, of which there have been about half a dozen. Flying over on Saturday night (12 hours flight) I managed about 5 hours, but then I am lucky to work for a bloody good company who pay for a business class seat. Sunday night I also managed about 5 hours but Monday night was 3 hours and last night 4 hours. I make that 17 hours sleep in the last 105 hours, about half of my norm.

On Monday afternoon I had to give a big presentation to a rather large audience made up of both senior maangers and young researchers. I'd prepared thoroughly so no surprise that it went well and I handled the questions well too. But I was shattered before I even got up to stand. I had to think really hard and be completely focussed. I seem to loose time and was surprised to find myself on the last slide. Whilst it was perfectly fine it was some distance away from the dress rehersal I did in front of my co-workers on Friday - just flat, I guess.

This afternoon in one of my meetings I turned into the proverbial nodding dog, and walking back from lunch and checking the old iphone, something I mastered a long time ago, I came within inches of loosing all my street cred by walking into a wall!!!

The jet-lag is a minor issue within loads of great things about being here. The food is always wonderful and gerenally to my tastes, I enjoy spending time with colleagues out of the office thereby getting to know them better, the science is always good and I learn loads but most of all the people are just so hospitable I find it quite humbling. Tonight I'll be taken out for dinner again and my offer to pay or contribute will certainly be turned down. One guy popped by and left me quite a few bottles of beer in a bag in my temporary office as well. I'm not sure how I'll manage to get them on the plane, but it might be best if they are within me ;-)

So, here's to good sleep, distance friends and sake!