Job Tips: Sleep Habits

With today’s headlines talking about CCSD changing school start times to accommodate sleepy high schoolers, we thought we would ask what kind of sleep schedules you have and how it affects your practice. Are you an early to bed, early to rise type, or one of those night owls that sends emails while everyone else is sleeping? How many hours of sleep do you need a night? Do you nap? How did becoming a lawyer change your sleep habits? Do you like it to be warm or cold when you sleep? Do you and your spouse sleep in separate rooms or beds? Where do you put your phone when you sleep? Do you have a cutoff for checking work emails before bed or are you constantly on alert?

Oh, and for those of you who want something more specific to law to discuss, have you looked at the Nevada Judiciary’s 2025 Annual Report?

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Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 11:01 am

I need 6 hours of sleep minimum to have any chance at being productive. 7 is good, 8 is great. I’m having a napping renaissance too, 30-60 minutes does the trick if I’m feeling especially wiped out.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 11:05 am

Within the last year I have forced myself to wake up at 5:00 a.m. to go to the gym due to some concerns with health and some poor lab results. I used to never wake up early and would dread getting out of bed. I have noticed a big difference in my law practice and quality of sleep. By the end of the day I am very tired and usually go to bed between 9:00 – 10:00 pm but have no issues falling asleep. Would strongly recommend getting up and working out.

Could be better about shutting my phone off earlier at night and not checking it first thing in the morning.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 11:12 am

I’m in bed by 9:30 at the latest and have the unfortunate habit of scrolling X for 30 min to an hour. I try to be asleep by 10:30. Up at 6:30 but unfortunately I wake up at least twice in the middle of the night with some work panic attack and often can’t fall back to sleep. So I usually get between 6 and 7 hours of broken sleep each night. Terrible – I already know.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 3:53 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

for what it’s worth, anxiety medication really helped me be able to finally sleep through the night.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 4:09 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

OP here….I take 100mg of Trazadone too. I was too embarrassed to mention that. Which is funny since this is anonymous. And since I’m being honest, I do take Xanax from time to time. The Trazadone has actually greatly helped. Had I posted this before I started taking it I would have said – sleep is constantly interrupted and averaging 3 to 4 hours per night. This job……

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 11:13 am

I have kids with early morning commitments so I have no choice but to get up early. I do not like it. I am more productive later in the day. Sometimes, I take a nap on a fold out bed hidden in my office.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 11:22 am

Naps for staff?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 12:47 pm

Just a PSA. If you are tired during the day, get a sleep test. A lot of us, including myself previously, just start thinking that its normal to be tired all the time. It isn’t. Get a sleep test, get a cpap machine, etc. It will change any possibly save your life.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 1:40 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Good luck falling asleep with all of those wires glued to your face & body. Even with a sleep aid, it’s tough.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 2:31 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

A lot of the sleep apnea stuff is a gimmick and exaggerated. Test your oxygen levels in the morning. If you are in the mid-90s–you are normal and have sufficient oxygen. A wedge pillow or adjustable bed helps too. My problem is I fall asleep on the couch. Not sure naps are the best for a good night’s sleep. May interfere.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 11:59 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

With my C-Pap, I don’t snore, which my wife loves. And I don’t wake up at all. Not to use the bathroom, not to change positions, nothing. Don’t think I have woken up during the night since I got it. Those two things alone make it worth it even if it is pure snake oil.

anonymous
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anonymous
January 21, 2026 7:25 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

A sleep study found that I stopped breathing constantly during the night, to an alarming degree. I am convinced that the CPAP saved me. Had to go without it for a couple of nights recently. Slept horribly and woke up with a splitting headache. Obstructive sleep apnea is no joke.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 11:58 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I did an at home one. Was basically just a little thing on my finger and a thing around my chest. Easy peasy.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 22, 2026 9:13 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Absolutely get a sleep test, but the solution may not be a CPAP. I got a mouthpiece that does the trick and completely resolved my sleep apnea. Probably saved my life.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 1:41 pm

the best thing about working from home is the ability to take nap breaks as needed.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 2:29 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

False. Frequent nooners, sometimes doubleheaders, are the best part of working from home.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 4:10 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

So you have a spouse that doesn’t work? Or both WFH? Must be nice.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 22, 2026 6:48 am
Reply to  Anonymous

It is nice. There are more options on the menu during the day while school is in session.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 2:42 pm

I am conducting a brief, confidential survey to gather up-to-date information about current legal rates and fee practices in our state/region. The results will be presented to the Business Court Bench Bar, and a detailed report will be made available to participants upon request.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey at the following link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdHeRUu3HNarrP25rtSin0zQGRAoAW8z8naJvvJY7Z7dyaP0A/viewform?usp=header

I encourage you to circulate this survey to other practicing lawyers in your network. The broader our participation, the more useful the results will be for everyone in the legal community.

Thank you in advance for your time and valuable input.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 4:45 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

This seems like something you’d want to put your name on (not anonymous) if you want people to participate.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 6:32 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

That’s true. I’ve posted them year in and year out. I’m Dylan Ciciliano at Garman Turner Gordon (dciciliano@gtg.legal). I really need attorneys with less than 10 years of experience to participate as well.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 4:15 pm

You guys sleep?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 5:20 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

An article about Noble Brigham, by Noble Brigham, for Noble Brigham

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 5:49 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

It’s a real bad idea to take on someone with enough ink and paper to badmouth you, particularly in an election year when you’ve got an opponent.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 7:15 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I like Judge Peterson. This whole thing makes me sad.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 22, 2026 8:24 am
Reply to  Anonymous

The problem with all of this is that Peterson may be bad, but her opponent will be much worse.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 22, 2026 8:41 am
Reply to  Anonymous

How so?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 22, 2026 11:57 am
Reply to  Anonymous

OK Jessica.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 6:05 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I really enjoy his RJ articles. Impressive kid.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 7:22 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

“The decision on what we publish is ours, not the court’s,” he said.

So everyone is in agreement that the victims name shouldn’t be and won’t be published, but there is still conflict over whose AUTHOR-UH-TAY is responsible for the AGREED UPON position.

A pox upon all your houses, Glenn Cook, Noble Brigham & Jessica Peterson. I’ve seen attorneys get sanctioned for less petty quarrels. All three of you are embarrassing yourselves.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 22, 2026 11:42 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Journalists are annoying but I’m always in favor of them being annoying about the First Amendment.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 8:05 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Hold on, let me get this all straight. She issues an order barring the press from taking any number of actions that the First Amendment and countless decisions expressly permit. Then once she’s challenged, she immediately backs down and agrees her order isn’t lawful, then issues a new one. A week later she doubles down and then REMOVES a reporter from her courtroom because she thinks he MIGHT violate her unconstitutional order? Do I have the gist of it?

Last edited 1 month ago by
anonymous
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anonymous
January 21, 2026 7:27 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I saw that. Quite a way to kick off a contested campaign.

anonymous
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anonymous
January 21, 2026 9:08 pm
Reply to  anonymous

The application for protective order is salacious. Acknowledges a prior “friends with benefits” relationship between the applicant’s current boyfriend, who is also a lawyer at applicant’s firm, and the Judge.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 21, 2026 9:49 pm
Reply to  anonymous

All I heard was prominent gaming lawyer.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 22, 2026 9:35 am
Reply to  anonymous

Article indicates that the TPO was issued to “a Reno gaming and administrative law attorney on Jan. 12 in Reno Justice Court. It was granted Jan. 16. . . . The attorney for the woman seeking the protection order declined to comment and said the woman “will address this matter in the courtroom” at a Feb. 13 hearing that will determine whether to extend the protection order.”

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 22, 2026 1:07 am

21 is the hardest working judge in the 8th!!!!

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 22, 2026 9:30 am
Reply to  Anonymous

I agree that she works hard. Hardest is perhaps a bridge too far, but there is no question that she puts time into her cases.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 22, 2026 1:22 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Just ask her. She’ll tell you herself she is.