Although most of my life has little structure, I love morning routines. They act as a kickstarter that prepares me for the day ahead.

Due to my schedule, however, sticking to a routine leads me to sacrifice sleep on occasion. It’s not a problem, just something I acknowledge from time to time.

From time to time I’ll skip it altogether for no intended reason. When my alarm goes off, I don’t get up or hit snooze. I intentionally set another alarm for an hour later — bypassing my normal routine — and go back to sleep.

I sleep hard, dream vividly, and wake feeling restored.

As beneficial as morning routines are, often what we need is a little extra sleep.