Nap Kings and Queens Describe Their Sleep Marathons

For some reason, I always thought the happiest people in the world were the ones who could eat, fuck and sleep to their heart’s content.

But while people with lit sex lives are envied, and gluttons are given their own TV shows, lazy layabouts still face a lot of stigma. They get fired from their jobs and replaced in team line-ups; and are considered sinners in holy texts.

On the health front is more bad news. According to scientists, oversleeping may lead to weight gain, declining cognitive abilities, depression, heart diseases, glucose intolerance, infertility and even death. It’s also linked to bad math performance. That about sums it up.

There are a few sleepers who are also winners. Earlier this year, the American snowboarder Red Gerard managed to win an Olympic Gold after oversleeping due to a late night of Netflix binge-watching.

VICE spoke to sleep champions across India about how their marathon napping habit has impacted their lives.

Poet and feminist writer in Delhi and Mumbai
“The longest I slept would easily be over 22 hours. For me, depressive phases lead to oversleeping. In my sleep marathons, I’d wake up for small amounts of time to pee or have water, then fall back into bed. To be honest, sleeping too much is always negative. It ends up leaving me sluggish, ruins my mood and makes me uncomfortable in my body.”

Student in Tura, Meghalaya
“It was a New Year’s eve. People were welcoming 2011, but I was stressed out for some reason. Being awake might actually have been destructive, so I resolved the matter by sleeping for three days in one stretch. I literally woke up to another year. It took some time to adjust to the world again. When I first stepped on to the floor, it almost felt like the first steps after being born. I don’t think I have missed anything important by oversleeping, except some silly classes. I think sleeping that long is kind of an escape from the world, but it also gives you a will to start your life anew.”

Student in Kolkata
“I am into computer gaming. It’s difficult to go to sleep amid the thrill of planning, strategising and shooting other people in the head. During the longest gaming spree (of one and half day), I first completed Max Payne 3 overnight (a feat in itself), then finishing the whole career mode in Need For Speed: Most Wanted. After a few more hours of LAN gaming Counter-Strike with my friends, I slept for two days. Oversleeping is not good. It messes up your timeline, makes you tired and lethargic. I will never do it again.”

Dental surgeon in Lucknow
“My friends refer to me as Nap Queen. In school, I used to list ‘sleeping’ as a hobby in friends’ slambooks. I’ve shouted at people for knocking at my door while I’m sleeping. I’ve had extreme fights with my friends, who tried to wake me up. I’ve cancelled dates and missed parties umpteen times. I have slept inside movie halls and metro trains. My father tried to get me tested for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

“My excuse to people is generally ‘I was up all night,’ when in reality I just want to sleep more during the day too. Once I slept for two days. My mom thought I might have died in my sleep and tried to break my bedroom door. I have slept for more than 36 hours many times.”

Doctor in Srinagar
“When I appeared for my MBBS exam, I had a gruelling schedule and hadn’t slept well for over a week to prepare for it. When I came back to the hostel after giving the test, everyone had left. I didn’t have a cellphone at that time. I thought I would sleep for a while and then go and eat something, I slept, and then woke up at 6 PM the next day as there was nobody to disturb me. I still have this power to sleep for extended periods and would often sleep for 12-16 hours on a holiday.”

Philosophy student in Aligarh
“I had to report for the security clearance of a college event. It was a compulsory thing. To reach early, I decided to stay at a friend's place and fixed a cab for early morning. The problem was the flat had no network connectivity and the driver couldn’t contact me. When I woke up hours late, I saw my supervisor inside the room. At first I thought I was dreaming, so I kept sleeping. But then finally my brain rewired and I realized it was her IN REAL. I had no idea how she tracked me down. It was just embarrassing, but funny.

“Another time, I skipped two days when people around me were partying. I just lay there sound asleep amid the celebrations. I have tried alarms of different types to fight this problem. They don’t work for me.”

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