Congrats CFTW!
Re: Sleep. I probably averaged <5 hours a night from age 15-25 and performed fine in most mental activities (getting a degree, being an engineer, playing poker, etc). A couple years ago I started averaging more like 7-8, and I feel far less capable now when I am working on less sleep. Obv I can party, play video games, hang out, etc, but when it comes to poker, I just don't feel as sharp/focused when I haven't slept enough. Either sleep debt is a real thing (and I have a TON of catching up to do), or I am just getting old. Either way, I still LOVE my Tempurpedic bed.