Somnolence

It's been a while since I changed the pen name to somnolence. Ironically, there are some "sleepy" issues

happening in my current educational pursuit which might possibly turn out to be the path I take for a short-term research. So when I started reading about sleep science, I realize how 'sleep' is one of the most underrated part of (almost) everyone's life. We sacrifice sleep for anything and everything! From a neuroscientist's perspective, it is one of the most dangerous things that one can do to themselves is all I understand. The effects of this kind of self-imposed pain (I am using the word masochism with the right emphasis) due to lack of sleep is not meant to show up immediately, but it will raise it's head and hiss when we don't in the least expect it. For scientists and researchers out there, whatever I've said above might seem like cliched junk. I am consciously avoiding too much of scientific details for all that I'm going to say after this.
I was introduced to the term 'Somniloquy', about three years ago when I discovered I am a somniloquist when under stress. I have been told that I argue in English, which is totally weird considering the fact that I am more comfortable speaking in my native language. It's all entertaining for people who listen to it. Recently, I discovered I have fallen prey to one of the novel lifestyle disorders (for lack of better terminology,) sleep-texting. It so happened that I received a call from my mom, ~8000 miles away at ~5 am in the morning. I did not attend the call, instead sent her a text saying "I'm in class" - these were the exact words, flawless typing. Later when I woke up I noticed the missed call, called her back only to find her asking me in absolutely bewildered tone, "Did you have a class at 5am?!". I ridiculed her and she shot back at me mentioning the text message she received. I was in total denial mode. After finishing the talk, I sheepishly checked my message box, only to get shocked for the rest of the day. Meh, I am still shocked, only that the intensity is less, since it's been a few days after the incident. I apologized to her for the confusion (poor mom, she got freaked out by my text message only to convince herself that I was in an online class or something like that until I called her back in a groggy state). The post-doc in my lab and I had a good laugh, we had something interesting to talk about for a long time. But still, come on, it's shocking to me.
I realize there is so much to understand and uncover when the brain is trying to rest, sleeping being not-so-much-of-a-resting-mode, as it tries to repair and prepare the body for all the trials and tribulations it undergoes for the rest of the day. A sleep test on myself is on top of my to-do list. It seemed kind of obvious that I was in REM sleep when I texted and that I was dreaming about being in a class. Anyhow, there is so much more to 'sleep', the circadian and the physiology behind this behaviour that what we all think it is.
Interesting learning awaits.