Have you ever been watching TV, had a serious emotional breakdown over a plot twist, and blamed it on the fact that you were "sleep-deprived?" This just in: You are not full of s—.
Let me take you back seven days: Alynda Wheat sent me her rough cut of the Bones season finale so that Abby West and I could watch it together in the office. Even though I’d had approximately five hours of sleep on each of the three previous nights, we decided to stay late anyway and have our screening… in Dave Karger’s office. (He has a love seat, and is so nice that he won’t mind if/when he reads this.) Fifty seconds in, when Sweets said, "It’s Agent Booth’s funeral, Dr. Brennan," Abby had to press pause because I told her to. A minute later, when Caroline started delivering her graveside eulogy, I slid off the love seat onto my knees, turned my back to the television, hugged the seat cushion, looked up at Abby, and said something to the effect of, "What?… Wait. What?… What?" It wasn’t that I thought Booth (David Boreanaz) could actually be dead. (And no one should’ve, which is why I didn’t use a spoiler alert.) It was that my mind was too mushy to process anything unexpected and remotely upsetting. Right?
Right! I just Googled sleep-deprivation and emotional, and the first link was this: "Sleep-deprivation causes an emotional brain ‘disconnect."’ It says, "Without sleep, the emotional centers of the brain dramatically overreact to negative experiences, reveals a new brain imaging study…. The reason for that hyperactive emotional response in sleep-deprived people stems from a shutdown of the prefrontal lobe — a region that normally keeps emotions under control."
That makes perfect sense. So now, while I Google which of my lobes insisted that Abby rewind Booth’s bathtub scene (embedded below, because I can’t let go of that beer helmet issue I have), share what TV moments you’ve overreacted to due to sleep-deprivation. I know I was pooped when I phoned a friend after that Miranda-chokes-home-alone episode of Sex and the City and left an urgent message saying I would tap out a code if I ever needed her to call an ambulance but couldn’t speak. A tuckered Slezak admits that he was "emotionally wobbly" throughout Wednesday’s American Idol finale. Your turn.
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While in college and during final season, anything, even commercials, could set me off. After 72 hours of no sleep (my personal record), some commercial about either laundry detergent or laundry machines with a mom doing laundry for her mostly-grown, ‘could do it on his own’ son had me bawling like a baby. I’m pretty sure that late night on Adult Swim episodes of Family Guy set me off, but I have successfully repressed those memories. And that’s my oh-so embarrassing revelation.
“Just so you know, I find your lack of puritan modesty very refreshing.”
Sure, Brennan, you find it “refreshing.” Whatever you say.:)
Reruns of Dawson’s Creek when Pacey and Joey are at the anti-prom dancing, I choked (and I barely ever cry watching TV or movies)!
I have insomnia anyway, but after watching the wrenching third season of Angel (the one where he has a son and son gets kidnapped into a dark dimension only to return full grown and ready to kill his father 3 weeks later)I felt emotionally drained. I was sleeping less than usual anyway because I HAD TO finish watching but then couldn’t sleep because I kept having nightmares about demons. By the time Angel tried to smother Wesley in his hospital room, I was too disturbed to even contemplate sleep, despite the 5 hour a night average at the time. After that, I stuck to reruns of Seinfeld for a few weeks.
I was working at a nightclub at the time and was also working odd hours during the day when General Hospital’s Maxie gets BJs heart story was playing out. I was a wreck for the whole week and actually unable to talk about pretty much anything without getting a lump in my throat and thinking of Tony putting his head to Maxie’s chest.
On the other hand, when I had newborns and was up with them in the wee hours I would sit feeding them in front of Conan and would be in tears, sobbing tears mind you, of laughter. I’ve always found him hilarious but never so much as when I was up every two and a half hours.
How can you not love Booth’s super secret behavior?
Felicity, season 1, I think the second-to-last ep. (Keep in mind that my four years of college paralleled hers, e.g. I was a freshman when she was, and so on. I also went to college in a big city).
So, it’s the night before I go home for the summer freshman year. I’ve been up studying for finals, packing, saying goodbye to my roommate, etc. I’m watching Felicity with another friend, and Ben has a gambling problem and is out all night, only to return home to his apartment to find Sean and Julie sleeping in the living room, waiting for him to come back. That, and Ben’s reaction (people DO care!) packed quite the emotional wallop for me.
I was watching a late night airing of the Karate Kid. I have NEVER cried at that movie. But for some reason, when Daniel did the Flying Crane kick, I lost it. I had to go to the bathroom and grab some tissues. And Mr. Miagi shed a small tear, too. See, I’m not alone. Daniel’s win against the Cobra Kais was inspirational to everyone, right? RIGHT?!?!?
Whenever I’m having a super-emotional day, I put the Buffy the Vampire Season 3 DVD onto the episode “The Prom,” and just bawl. The whole time. I’m pretty sure it’s because the first time I saw the episode was during a pretty poignant break-up, and as such, I am permanently scarred.
I wish I could admit I was sleep-deprived when I literally started the ugly cry during the same episode of “Bones” when the characters showed how much they still loved the cannibal’s apprentice (I forget his name, I’m sorry).
I was completely raw from my week of professional rejection (two firm NOs from literary agencies–one of which was quite mean–and one “thanks, but no thanks” call for a job I really wanted) and it just killed the last bit of control I had left over my emotions.
Thanks cast of “Bones” for being the catalyst to my breakdown!
Hey Rasha–if it makes you feel any better, I’m getting literary agency “no’s” too. We writers need to stick together!
Please stop using Hulu, since only people in the US can see the video. Thanks
I was a sleep-deprived new mom when Dr. Green (finally) kicked the bucket on ER. I was bawling so much even my baby looked worried. Of course, it’s not as bad as when (not sure if that was around the same time, or when I had my other child,) my sister told me about this TV ad (for Unicef or something like that) she had seen that had a toddler watching horrible news footage of disasters and famine and children suffering on TV, then taking his pacifier out of his mouth and offering it to the TV – I broke down completely! Just hearing about it! If I had seen the actual ad, I might still be blubbering several years later. Nah, I finally got some sleep.
Buffy! The Prom! That’s such a good episode.
I remember the episode of Battlestar Galactica where Kara dies…Maelstrom? BSG was on late and I hadn’t slept in two days because of this huge paper I was writing, and all of a sudden…WHAM! Kara’s ship exploded and I don’t think I’ve ever cried that much. And I read the spoilers and knew she was coming back. Just…sad.
I hadn’t slept at all the weekend before the Bones finale. Needless to say, I was squeaking, crying, and stuttering the whole episode. I was exhausted by the time House came on after it, and -SPOILER ALERT- therefor began sobbing uncontrollably when Amber died at the end.
Perhaps you might want to check my friend’s tips regarding this :
http://www.siakoi.com/health/sleep-deprivation-how-do-we-conquer-it.html
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Hey guys! I’ve been having insomnia for awhile now. However, just recently I was chatting with folks over at the live forever site at http://letslivelonger.blogspot.com/2009/04/sleep-better-you-can-do-it.html and together we worked through some of my scheduling, diet and exercise routines and I am starting to sleep better. Thanks guys!