The question

What keeps you awake at night?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

A long-running fixed question in The Guardian's weekly Q&A questionnaire.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Others on this question

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Dawn O'Porter British writer, director, and television presenter
Perimenopausal anxiety, the terrible feeling of impending doom, something awful happening to my children, writing deadlines. Apart from that, I’m quite chilled.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 15 August 2026 source ↗
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw Founder and executive chairperson of Biocon
When we develop blockbuster novel products and the world sits up and takes us seriously, then I would probably sleep peacefully.
Recorded Dr. Pritam Singh and Dr. Asha Bhandarker, People Matters, 15 March 2011 source ↗
Leon Panetta Attorney and politician; Director of the Office of Management and Budget, White House Chief of Staff, Director of the CIA and Secretary of Defense
The toughest job I had as secretary was having to take the time, usually late at night, to write notes to the families of those who lost loved ones.
Recorded Chuck Oldham, The Pentagon: 75 Years, Defense Media Network, 24 January 2019 source ↗
Pete Rozelle Commissioner of the National Football League, 1960–1989
Because of my love for sports, and the nature of my job, it was pretty intense for 30 years, and you have to be sure. I would take it home. My wife would know when things were tight, and she would hear me get up in the night, and walk around and sit and think. It’s not something you can leave at the office.
Recorded Rancho Santa Fe, California, Academy of Achievement, 15 May 1991 source ↗

More from Simone Biles

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Question In the last five years, what have you become better at saying no to? Daily life
I just felt like it would be a little bit better to take a back seat, work on my mindfulness. And I knew that the girls would do an absolutely great job and I didn't want to risk the team a medal for kind of my screw ups because they've worked way too hard for that. So I just decided that those girls need to go in and do the rest of the competition.
Recorded Post-competition press conference, Ariake Gymnastics Centre, Tokyo Olympics, Rev, 27 July 2021 source ↗
Question What advice would you give your twenty-year-old self, and what should they ignore? Time & hindsight
Yeah, I say put mental health first because if you don't, then you're not going to enjoy your sport and you're not going to succeed as much as you want to. So it's okay sometimes to even sit out the big competitions to focus on yourself because it shows how strong of a competitor and person that you really are rather than just battle through it.
Recorded Post-competition press conference, Ariake Gymnastics Centre, Tokyo Olympics, Rev, 27 July 2021 source ↗

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