Sydney doesn’t frequent psychologists, but she’s been around them a few times in her life. Notably when she was younger and got diagnosed with ADHD, and a few follow-ups to tweak her meds. She’s being progressive about asking for help when it’s needed instead of letting this fester because she’s hoping there’s a pill she can take for it. For a lack of a better term, let’s say she’s got a touch of PTSD. There might be a better diagnosis – she’s not to the point where she’s having panic attacks or waking flashbacks, at least not yet. Just nightmares bad enough to give her insomnia.

In case you’re wondering, Sydney taped her orbs to her hands, as she has done in the past a few times, because dropping her shield orb while she’s sleeping and letting the monsters in would be bad. Falling asleep in her airtight bubble would be actually bad, so – tape. It’s a pretty secure way to sleep actually. Except that her shield doesn’t keep out light or noise. Well, it keeps out lasers, so maybe it keeps out dangerously loud sounds. It just doesn’t keep out the usual annoying noises when you’re trying to sleep. Dogs barking, your neighbor’s party or TV. Incidentally, her room is next to Dabbler’s, but fortunately the resident succubus had extra soundproofing done. Well, not physical soundproofing. It’s like a ward.

I can’t imagine trying to exercise while sleep deprived. It seems I can barely motivate myself to do it when I’m feeling 100% these days. Doing it while exhausted? I think you’d probably plod along in misery for a few minutes, then you’d get some sort of adrenaline reaction that could carry you 10-15 minutes, then after that you’d start feeling like you’re having an insulin crash or something. I imagine the military, especially in boot camp, is probably not reeeeeal sympathetic to complaints of insomnia and the like. In fact, I can’t help but think there’s probably a perverse delight in running NCOs into the ground. Cause, you know, making people literally pass out from exhaustion is ‘hardcore’ or whatever.

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