If you didn’t need sleep, what would you do with all the extra time?

From the series: ‘Reflections from Tarim’

Omg, what an interesting question! As a mum of four, I often struggle with the idea of “wasting” all these hours sleeping when I could be doing something else instead. It makes me laugh, because even though I’m constantly tired, a part of me still wishes I could replace sleep with productivity and creativity.

But the truth is, sleep is vital for our wellbeing, functioning, and emotional balance. So I always have to talk myself into fixing it first, and only then enjoying it. Still, I find myself returning to that question every time my sleep routine goes out of the window.

Just recently, I haven’t been in a great sleep routine because I travelled overseas with my three-month-old. Whenever I lose sight of how important sleep is, I end up waking for the dawn prayer only to rush straight back to bed because I’m exhausted and physically unable to keep my eyes open a little longer. Sometimes I forget that this isn’t how things are supposed to be. Then suddenly, I rediscover the power of a good night’s rest by accident, usually by going to sleep early one evening and realising how much energy and motivation I have the next morning. Instead of dragging myself back to bed after Fajr, I’m able to start the day properly.

Once I gathered the courage to prioritise my sleep again, I was faced with an infant who was also completely out of routine. So the task of sleep training began, and Alhamdulilah, I’m finally seeing the benefit of it. I genuinely look forward to sleeping now, and both baby and I are enjoying a proper routine. I wake up ready to savour the quiet morning hours and invest in myself before I need to give to everyone else. It’s such a peaceful time of day, and now that I’m actually able to stay awake, I can finally move towards creating my ideal morning routine. I’m a morning person and love the mornings so I’m grateful to have developed a good sleep routine now 😀

Anyway, back to the question: What would I do if I didn’t need sleep?

If I didn’t need sleep, I feel like I would fill my time with all the things I constantly feel I’m not doing enough of either because I’m disorganised, overwhelmed, or simply don’t have the hours in the day.

Here’s my list of things I’d do:

• Pray more
• Read more
• Write more
• Study more
• Work on my business more
• Spend more quality time with my loved ones
• Be more disciplined
• Have more quiet alone time with the Lord
• Serve more
• Be more organised
• Be more present

These are the things that tend to weigh on my heart when I’m drifting off at night, the things I wish I’d done more of during the day.

But the reality is, sleep is vital. Some people may need less, but nobody can function well without it. Going to bed early always helps me, even though it feels boring in the moment especially when other people are still awake and doing things. But at this stage of my life, I’m learning not to care about what’s happening at night. I’m letting go of that fear of missing out and choosing rest instead.

It amazes me how we sometimes fight against the very needs Allah has created us with. When we resist what’s good for us; sleep, nourishment, rest, we resemble children. Children don’t know what benefits them; they protest vegetables, bedtime, or safety. And just like we guide them gently, sometimes we have to mother ourselves too. When we slip away from our priorities, we must remind ourselves why we set them in the first place. As mothers, we give so much that we reach exhaustion, and then we wonder why we’re depleted, overwhelmed, or unable to care for our own basic needs.

Instead of burning out, we need to be gentle with ourselves. We need to hold ourselves accountable without being harsh, and stay committed to the goals we set not out of pressure, but out of love.

Writing this is a reminder to myself first. I’m neglecting certain areas of my life that need attention and care, but I wouldn’t have even reached the stage of recognising that if I hadn’t fixed my sleep first. Without sleep, we become walking zombies, unable to think clearly or live meaningfully.

So while it’s fun to imagine all the things I could achieve if I didn’t need sleep, I have to bring myself back to reality. The life I want is not built on squeezing more hours out of the night. It’s built on honouring the needs Allah has given me, prioritising what truly matters, and taking care of myself so I can show up as the best version of me.

And ironically, good sleep is the foundation of all of that.

Until next time….

Peace be with you.