Back when I was pandemic drinking, it didn’t click that alcohol was causing significant sleep disruptions, and it was the sleep disruption that was making me feel stupider and made it harder to concentrate. This is also a big part of why new parents feel stupider, btw. It’s the sleep deprivation.

My paternal grandfather’s only and best piece of advice passed to my mom and then to me was that when faced with whether to keep working/studying or sleep, choose sleep. Feeling stupid? Studying or t...