The Daily Grind: Wide Awake When Holding My Phone, Instantly Drained When I Put It Down

Of all things in the world, 'sleepiness' is the hardest to conquer. I'm sleepy at work, sleepy in meetings, and even when I'm just spacing out, my eyelids automatically half-mast. My boss's voice is like a lullaby on repeat in my ears, every word precisely hitting my sweet spot for dozing off. Then, something mystical happens. As soon as I pick up my phone, it's like a secret switch is flipped. One moment I'm a puddle of goo with my bones removed, the next I'm as alert as if I'd chugged three shots of espresso. The blue light from the screen is my elixir of life, and my fingers scrolling through short videos are a perpetual motion machine. Swipe left, swipe right, scroll up, scroll down. I can go without food or drink, but I absolutely cannot stop scrolling. The most magical part is that a phone is a communication tool in others' hands, but in mine, it's a 'permission slip to stay up late.' It's 11 PM, and I tell myself, 'Just five more minutes, then I'll sleep.' Next thing I know, it's 2:30 AM. And miraculously, I'm not even tired! My eyes are wide open like saucers, ready to fight another 300 rounds. So don't ask me why I have such dark circles under my eyes. It's not that I don't sleep; I'm just practicing a ritual called 'Just one more look' with my phone. It's just that every time the ritual ends, the sun is already rising. While I'm not *entirely* like this, it's pretty much how it is 😆