We have stigmatized sleep with the label of laziness. We want to seem busy, and one way we express that is by proclaiming how little sleep we’re getting. It’s a badge of honor. When I give lectures, people will wait behind until there is no one around and then tell me quietly: “I seem to be one of those people who need eight or nine hours’ sleep.” It’s embarrassing to say it in public. . . . Humans are the only species that deliberately deprive themselves of sleep for no apparent reason.
