"Sleep Deprivation": Adults Are Revealing Things That Nobody Thinks Is Cool Anymore Once You Hit 30, And TBH I'm Already Feeling Some In My 20s

"I did this so often in my 20s that even several years later, it hasn't fully fixed itself."

People often romanticize youth and admire the energy and carefreeness one has in their 20s. However, there are definitely some things that are overly romanticized in your 20s or just no longer considered cool in your 30s — for better or for worse.

Warner Bros. Television Distribution

So when u/nonchalannt asked, "What's not 'cool' anymore when you turn 30?" many people over 30 came forward to share things that they no longer care for or find cool, and I'm genuinely curious to know how old you are and whether or not you agree:

1. "Sleep deprivation."

Warner Bros. Television Distribution / HBO Enterprises

—u/Hoppy_Croaklightly

"Yup. I loved pulling all-nighters as a teen and young adult. Now, they just give me migraines and make the entire subsequent day hell." 

—u/totoropoko

"Yes! I never pulled all-nighters in college, but I went to med school in my 30s, and 24-hour shifts are required during residency. I felt like that took more of a toll on me than my 20-something-year-old classmates. 

"One day, I made the mistake of signing up for a kickboxing class through Groupon right after a 24-hour shift. I damn near blacked out during the warm up. I paid for 10 kickboxing classes and never went back after the first one." 

—u/ghostm42

2. "Spending all your money at the bar on payday."

—u/deputytech

3. "Teenager/person in their early 20s: 'Yo, we can save money by booking the 7 a.m. return flight and not paying for accommodation. Let's just stay at the club until 5 a.m. or sleep on the airport floor!' Person in their 30s: 'I'd rather die.'"

—u/Gravesens1stTouch

"Years ago, we drove six hours to go to a concert, where we got pretty drunk and high. That night, all five of us slept in a small car for a couple of hours and then drove home. Now, that's a three-day trip for me." 

—u/Knowitmall

"Same with buying the cheapest ticket: 'This ticket is $40 cheaper, it just has a few hours more layover and leaves at 4:30 a.m.' Fuck that." 

—u/lurkinuuu

4. "Bragging about your high school accomplishments."

—u/Hysterical_Realist

5. "Hangovers."

Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution / Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming & Interactive Entertainment

—u/writer_rat

"My hangovers really took a turn for the worst somewhere between ages 25–27. In my early 20s, I could drink like a fish, stay up until 3 a.m., wake up at 9 a.m., and go to class perfectly fine.

"Now, the sleep quality sucks. Even when I get eight hours of sleep, the next day is basically ruined. I'm just so tired after, and the alcohol makes me wake up sooner. It ruins my sleep. I'll wake up after six hours, feel like shit, and be unable to go back to bed."

—u/Illerios1

"Binge drinking isn't recommended at any point in life, but it's fairly prevalent and accepted within a lot of social circles when you're in your 20s. Those nights out with your buddies where you pre-game and then go to the bar, order a few round of shots, and let the night take you are fun times, but they feel progressively out of place in your 30s and later.

"Part of it is due to the accumulation of other responsibilities and the recovery time for hangovers. For me, it's not wanting to lose a day or two of getting errands done or chores completed — basically not wanting to be a useless pile on the couch. I'm in my 40s now, and a nice evening out is no more than a glass of wine or cocktail at dinner. Anymore than that and I'll have a lingering headache and slowness the next day." 

—u/spicy_potatochip

6. "Sleeping eight to a hotel room to save money."

—u/UrDraco

7. "Wasting time on friendships that don't impact you in a positive way. I spent my 20s taking care of everyone else instead of myself. I don't have time for that shit anymore. They can go to therapy. I am."

—u/KittyGravesYT

8. "Bailing on plans last minute. If you don't want to do something, just say so."

—u/freakanature

"Yes, I'm typically the friend making plans and reaching out, and I always tell them, 'It's ok to say no, or if you need to think about it, let me know by whatever day.' I realized a lot of people feel pressured when you approach them with plans. I never understood why. If I don't want to go, I just say no thank you." 

—u/mexkinnish

"This includes ambiguous replies to invites or questions. It mainly happens in dating but is equally annoying when friends or my siblings do it. For instance: 'Hey, I have extra tickets. Do you want to go to this event for free?' 'Yeah, maybe!' That's not an acceptable response. Just let me know if it's something you want to do or not. Leaving options open is okay for days at the beach or park, but don't use my plans to leave your options open." 

—u/Armadillo_Resident

9. "Caring what others think of me. You don't like me? That's fine. I live my life for me."

—u/neuroticgypsy

10. "Telling people with full time jobs and bills that their hobbies are childish."

NBCUniversal Syndication Studios

—u/jackfaire

"I'm 31, married with no kids, and a USMC veteran. I have a degree in electrical engineering. I just got back into Pokémon cards after not touching them since 1999. I was teased into getting rid of them by my uncles back in the day. Now, I've almost got a complete Base/Jungle/Fossil set, and I'm working through the Sword and Shield series, made possible by the internet and having disposable income.

"Fuck what anyone says, they make me happy. My wife was a little wary at first, but she saw how interested I was and how excited I got opening packs that now, whenever I buy a booster box, we open them together."

—u/PM_ME_UR_CIRCUIT

"I'm in my late 20s and have a job and responsibilities. Sometimes, when I get off work exhausted, I don't want to go drink and party and go out. I just want to stay home and play video games." 

—u/Chappellshow

11. "Flipping off the camera when you get your picture taken."

—u/slightofhand1

12. "Trying to act cool."

Fox TV

—u/BaldyCarrotTop

"'Maybe if you're truly cool, you don't need to be told you're cool.'" 

—u/GrillDealing

"It really is kind of a life-changing moment for some when we realize that the coolest folks have always been the ones who never gave a shit about cool to begin with. It's actually zen af. I love that it all arrives back at, 'Fuck it, you do you.'" 

—u/YerMumsPantyCrust

13. "Night shifts. I abused my 20s to their limit and fucked my sleep schedule so badly that even several years later, it hasn't fully fixed.

"*Shudders at his previous 48- and even 72-hour benders in the name of work.*" 

—u/Sorvick

14. "Expecting your friends to help you move. The good news is that if you've ever moved that half-assed, chaotic way before, then the first time you hire professionals is going to feel amazing and worth it."

—u/dark_blue_7

15. "Trying to keep up with modern slang words."

NBCUniversal Television Distribution

—u/SinisterPigeon

"I purposefully misuse modern slang words to make my teenage child roll his eyes at me. I don't know why I find that so funny, but it's yeet AF! More specifically, I use a slang term from my youth, and then, like Dora the Explorer, I explain to him what that word means using modern slang — but I purposefully get the modern slang wrong." 

—u/ProjectDirectory

"The best thing about getting old is deliberately misusing slang and watching young people cringe. Now, don't be a hater. Hate the game, not the player. Fo' shizzle. Totes ma goats." 

—u/MarriedForLife

16. "Not going for what you want. In your 20s, you may feel young, new, ignorant — maybe a little doubtful of your skills and abilities. In your late 20s-30s, it is not cool to stay in the same situation you hate just because it's easier. Try to work it out. All you've got is time now. There are more and more years to come. Allow yourself to continue to learn, grow, adapt, acquire new skills, and become well-rounded.

"That's what I’m trying to tell myself in order to continue to scrape by and exist in the free market. I'm trying to be positive, if not for myself, for others who also have been trapped in cycles of depression and negative thought. 🌞" 

—u/littlestarseed

17. "Last minute plans. I need at least a 24-hour notice (preferably 48-hour) if said plans will require me to be in public."

—u/HanaMashida

18. "Anything loud. I am finding that anything loud (voices, music, TV, etc.) is turning into 'noise' for me. I am surprised by how much my tolerance for ambient sound has drastically decreased."

AMC Networks

—u/Catching-ZzZ

19. "Acting stupid and doing dumb shit. Your risk of getting hurt increases."

—u/Extension-Muscle1950

20. "Dance clubs. To be fair, I hated them in my 20s, too, but by the time I hit 30, I wouldn't be caught dead in one. Loud music, strobe lights, waiting forever to get a drink, and having to scream to speak — I just don't get it."

—u/iconoclast63

21. "As a single person entering the dating scene again in their 30s, 'hot person shit' is not cool anymore. You could get away with being a flake and playing games in your 20s, but in your 30s, you're just waving red flags in people's faces."

NBCUniversal Television Distribution

—u/kinghuxley

22. "Maybe just me, but one night stands. Sex is great, but it's not all I want. Give me that second date, good conversations, doing other shit together, and getting to know each other better. It's about that point in life that I started wanting shit to be deeper.

"I don't know, having someone on the other pillow in bed stops mattering as much when I know that pillow will be empty the next night." 

—u/IIIDysphoricIII

23. And, of course, "Thinking things aren't cool anymore because you turned 30."

—u/the_original_toast

"Life doesn't end at 30, and if you're lucky, you've still got around 45 to 50+ more years to go. So why spend that remaining time denying yourself of what life has to offer? 

"If octogenarian Ethel with pink hair and Chuck Taylors wants to free throw her empty bottle of Ensure into the trash while yelling, 'THIS BITCH IS EMPTY!' Well, goddammit, she can. In fact, that would make me feel less bummed about aging." 

—u/Vaqu3ra13

So?! What do you think? Did you agree or disagree, and were you shocked to see how other people answered? Let me know your thoughts below!