How I Got a Tech-Whiz to Go to Sleep

Little did the young man sitting next to me on the airplane know what he was getting into. Actually, neither did I.

I watched him speed through his cell phone apps to get connected to United. I asked him if he could help me. Within seconds he had me connected and we both beamed.

As we talked, one topic led to another. He was getting his Masters degree in technology at a prestigious university and was flying out of Seattle, where he had interviewed for a tech job and was going back to his studies and then to more interviews. A retired professor, I asked him questions about his classes and the kind of job he hoped for. Like many in their mid-20s, he wanted it to contribute to the social good, to community well-being. (Ok, I admit, the latter was my term).

He then asked what I was working on and I said, “Oh, well-being and sleep education.”

“Really?” he replied, his face puzzled. “What’s the big deal about sleep? I never get any,” he chuckled.

I told him about the recent research on sleep deprivation and how important adequate sleep is for his brain to stay alert and healthy. Interested, he said that he wasn’t getting much.

I told him I’d been writing about it. “In my last Medium piece, I explored the effects of social norms on one’s beliefs and practices…