I'm currently reading a book called State of Wonder by Ann Patchett and this is a quote from the book:
"She knew how to close her eyes for two minutes. It was a magic trick she had picked up in residency, falling asleep in the corner of the elevator then waking up on the right floor."
Interestingly, I've read this type of things before in books... someone saying as a resident, they trained themself to fall asleep instantly.
Patchett isn't actually a doctor, and I'm going to go out on a limb to say she's got it wrong. Residency has trained me to be a much lighter, worse sleeper. I can't imagine any other outcome to having a pager by your head at night.
I'm not in residency yet, but med school definitely has taught me to fall asleep in a minute. At the same time, it has, as you say, taught me to be a much lighter sleeper too.
ReplyDeleteResidency taught me to fall asleep instantly. I used to be a very deep sleeper; now I sleep deeply but wake up instantly to the sound of my pager or the baby crying.
ReplyDeleteI never learned to fall asleep instantly. To me it's like sleeping next to a live grenade, that could go off at any second.
ReplyDeleteI definitely did not fall asleep faster in residency. Instead, even on quiet call nights, I could never sleep, sure that my pager would go off at any second. A live grenade is a good comparison.
ReplyDeleteMS4 here. I have definitely taken "elevator naps" - as I call them - mostly when on my Ob/Gyn Sub-I (maternal fetal medicine).
ReplyDeleteSub-I, ummmm ya not even close to intern year!
DeleteDidn't say it was the same thing at all. Fully prepared to experience a new level of exhaustion next year. Just said I was tired enough to take elevator naps, as I still worked a ton (students don't have work hour restrictions, so I clocked 90+ hours each week).
DeleteI'm with Dr Grumpy (and you) on this one. I've never mastered the "falling asleep in an instant" thing. I hardly ever slept on call, even if I could have, because I just couldn't relax.
ReplyDeleteMedicine has trained me to sleep quickly, wake oriented rapidly, and sleep sitting up while looking like I'm actually paying attention to that speaker from my comfy seat in the back of the dark auditorium....
ReplyDelete~Jasmine
I sleep in a constant state of fear......pager going off or the code call overhead
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you. Sleeping on an uncomfortable call room bed, knowing that pager will go off just as soon as you finally drowse off.... did not make for good sleep. Loved the book, though.
ReplyDelete