Years ago, I learned it was bad for sleep to have a clock visible in the bedroom at night.

Last month, I wrote about taking the idea one step further — not just removing the bedroom clock but also resisting the temptation to check your watch during the night. Looking at the time invites your brain to calculate how much sleep you’ve lost or how little time remains before the alarm.

By last night, I hadn’t checked my watch during the night for more than three months.

Last evening, my Garmin watch froze and I couldn’t restore the clock face. I restarted it several times, but the problem remained. I went to bed assuming the display would still be blank.

I awoke for the first time and, without thinking, I flicked my wrist and turned the watch on. 4:11am.

Darn! Only 2 hours and 49 minutes until the alarm.

I fidgeted and worried about the time for the rest of the night.

Just one look took me right back to a place I don’t want to be in the middle of the night.

If you’ve broken the habit of checking the time at night, keep it that way. And if you’re tempted, don’t look.

I’m grateful it was only one glance. I don’t plan to repeat that experiment anytime soon.

Coming Up

I had planned to write about Garmin’s concept of Fitness Age this week, but I wanted to share last night’s experience first.

Next week we will examine and compare Garmin’s “fitness age” with chronological age and see, to the extent we can through Garmin’s opacity, what it might mean for aging professionals.

In the meantime, be well, and age gratefully,

Chris