Sleeping We all need it badly, some more than others. I can't get enough of it; in fact, I've missed exams, thousand dollar flights, and first dates because of it. No matter how cold or hard the surface is, I'll find a way to do it. There is nothing I can't stand more than waking up in the morning. I've broken about a dozen alarm clocks by throwing them across the room; whether I've had five or ten hours of sleep, no amount of shut eye is sufficient for me, a compulsive sleeper. I know I'm not the only one who relishes dream time and who struggles through an hour of pressing the snooze button. Like good food, sleep is one of those wholly necessary yet entirely sensual pleasures. My best friend enjoys REM time as much as the other person, and yet she has no trouble settling for a good eight hours. When the alarm goes off, I can vaguely hear her brushing her teeth as I drift back into never-never land. I barely notice her shoving my shoulders, imploring me to wake up lest I miss my class.

"You don't understand."
What? We went to bed at exactly the same time. We had a full eight hours. Now get up!" push my blanket to the side like a child and pout. "Fine," I say. "But you still don't understand."

She doesn't; neither do most people when they realize how easy it is for me to sleep anytime, anywhere. I can sleep on buses, trains, and planes. I especially like sleeping in cars -- at least, when I'm not the driver. A nap after a good meal is a must, and I can think of several other occasions when snoozing does the trick. I've dozed off in more than a few classes and missed tidbits of lectures, but it always seems I catch the important parts. Sometimes I think I can learn in my sleep better than I can while awake.

It's not that I don't like waking life: quite the contrary, I think I'm so enthusiastic that I need a good hard rest after each day, and occasionally in the middle. I probably expend so…