by Kaitlyn Spees

“What your parents didn’t tell you about pulling an all-nighter? It might just ease depression
for several days. At least, that’s what researchers found happened to mice in a study published in
the journal Neuron Thursday.”
—NPR

(With apologies to Frost)

If mice are made acquainted with the night
and, afterwards, subjected to mild pain
the critters’ll put up a stiffer fight

than mice allowed to sleep the night away,
so researchers declare them “less depressed”
and hope to wring out lessons from their brains.

But don’t try this at home!—the authors stressed—
Resist the call of easy dopamine!
No really, it’s important to get rest!

As though most folks are really super keen
to give up sleep because the process might
help out their mood a bit. I guess I mean

men just aren’t mice, though maybe Frost was right
to seek out the acquaintance of the night.