6. The Final Nights: Reflecting on the Experience

Sarah felt contemplative as she started the last nights of her week-long nighttime onion experiment. The original novelty of the practice had faded to be replaced by familiarity and routine. Still, the effects fascinated her, and she went to these last few evenings feeling both excited and slightly depressed since the experiment was ending.
Sarah chose on the sixth night to focus especially on every sensation and aspect of her experience. She stopped to fully see the onion slices on her nightstand: the translucent layers, the slight sheen of wetness, the minute colour changes. On that first night, the scent had appeared so overpowering; now it was soothing and almost inviting.
Sarah concentrated on her breathing as she curled into bed and felt the onion-infused air entering her lungs. Her chest felt somewhat warm, almost as though the onion vapours were softly cleaning her from the inside out. She couldn’t be sure whether this was a true physiological reaction or a product of her imagination, but the sensation was clearly good.
Sarah had one of the worst sleeps of the whole week that night. She fast dropped off and didn’t stir until her alarm went off the next morning. She woke up feeling absolutely rejuvenated, as though she had reached a new degree of restorative slumber. Her body felt energised in a way that appeared to transcend simply getting a good night’s sleep; her thoughts felt clear.
Sarah discovered on the last night of the trial a range of feelings. She was looking forward going back to her usual schedule, but another part had become connected to this evening habit. She paused as she got ready the last-time onion slices to show thanks for this unique experience and all it had taught her about sleep, health, and her own ability for adaptation.
That evening, Sarah considered the whole week while she lay in bed surrounded by the now-familiar onion aroma. She considered the early mistrust, the unexpected advantages, the obstacles she had surmounted, and the fresh viewpoints she had acquired. Whether the onions alone or any mix of elements caused the results, Sarah thought the experiment had been a useful experience.
On that last night, Sarah fell off to sleep and mentally noted she should review her sleep record in the next days. She wanted to know whether any of the advantages would last and how her sleep habits could shift once she stopped using the onions. Sarah knew her path of discovery into sleep and wellbeing was far from finished even as the experiment drew to an end.