I was speaking with an occupational therapist today about the challenge I’m facing as I transition into retirement: how to fill my time. I’ve been feeling increasingly bored, frustrated, and agitated as the day goes on, and I know I need to do something about it. Hypothesis – Try the Siesta!
We went over all my ideas and plans, and the truth is, I have a lot I want to do—even if it’s at a slower pace. But we kept circling back to one core issue: sleep.
I’m still waking up between 12 and 3 a.m. almost every night, and believe me, I’ve tried just about everything. So, I’m shifting tactics. Instead of fighting it, I’m going to try adapting.
I’ve decided to embrace the old tradition of the siesta. If I can’t sleep at night, then a 2–3 hour rest period in the early afternoon makes sense—and it actually seems to work for me on Shabbat.
I’ll start turning off my phone between 12 and 3 p.m. (or similar hours, depending on appointments), and use that time to read, relax, and hopefully get some rest. No screens. This might be one of the unexpected upsides of forced retirement.
Research suggests this is a good time from the perspective of the natural circadian dip (1–3 p.m.), and it seems better to keep the nap short—ideally 60–90 minutes—with the rest of the time spent reading.
So, I’m giving it a go.
What’s the goal? With only 3–4 hours of sleep at night, I (a) don’t have the energy to fill a full day, and (b) am not getting the rest I need. Adding a couple of hours in the afternoon might help on both fronts—giving me more stamina in the evening and possibly helping me reset my sleep rhythm.
So here goes…
Other than that, things are fairly normal. I had a routine check-up with my neurologist. No changes were made, and the diagnosis of PSP is now more firmly established—but I already knew that.
I’m taking this seriously because sleep is a critical resource I’m lacking, and the result is that I become a pain to be around—especially to those I care about.
Let’s see how it goes.
It’s funny how things come full circle. I remember working on a project in Madrid years ago, where the siesta was the most frustrating part of the day. Those of us from the London rat race were baffled that everything shut down for a leisurely lunch and rest. And now, here I am—adopting the very same tactic.
