[drra]

I'm also 25 years into my programming career, and since my children arrived, I've been getting less sleep and have become accustomed to it. I must admit that my mental capacity and productivity have plummeted, as has my overall mood. It reminds me of the time early in my programming career when I quit using weed because I noticed a significant reduction in focus and memory, especially when working on complex codebases. I wish I could return to regular sleep patterns, but after a few years, it seems extremely difficult, if not impossible, without medications, which I'd prefer to avoid.

I hope the OP can try sleeping longer and compare his productivity.