Ode to Sleep

Fear not! I won't attempt any verse.
The road bicycling press has long recommended good sleep as a pillar of training, vital for recovery from past efforts and preparation for future ones. I've seen this in my own road riding and firmly agree with its wisdom.
This morning at Rattlesnake I formed the strong impression that sleep is even more important for mountain biking. Rattlesnake's "Stones and Bones" section is a technical trail, and this morning I felt limited by difficulty in mentally focussing on the obstacles. Sleep is crucial for focus, so today I think I was sleep-limited.
On the positive side, I made it through the trench once upward (after several failed attempts) and got closer to riding the ridge (downward), though it still eludes me.
The first attempt at the ridge ended in an endo over a dip that caught the front wheel. I found it oddly comforting when the bike landed on me, an old friend visiting in a time of distress. Over the last month I've been wondering whether elbow pads were worth wearing, but here the left one picked up some deep scratches to prove their value.
Tires: I took MF's advice on Panaracer FireXC and they're wonderful, the stickiest I've ever used. The 127 TPI, Japanese version was hard to find though, except at Jenson. Look for the red bead!
[Naturally, this whole blog is written from the standpoint of my own technique, strength, etc. Many riders can fly over obstacles which stop me cold. This blog will never represent a cutting edge of riding.]