The trend of one-upping one another is annoying, more annoying than any other trend.

It’s Tuesday morning and I am exhausted. Although it is my own fault for procrastinating, I had to work on a paper until two in the morning.

After three cups of coffee I am still struggling to keep my eyes open. I quickly regret mentioning my fatigued state to my friend because she immediately starts telling me that she had to stay up until three a.m. doing homework.

This seems to be everyone’s reaction when I complain about my lack of sleep.

This kind of interaction always frustrates me and I catch myself doing it more often than I’d like to admit. Why is it such a big deal to let someone complain about being tired?

When I catch myself one-upping a friend, I try and change how I word my thoughts. I like to make our tiredness a bonding experience. When we complain, it is more like camaraderie than a competition.

Alyssa Dunning can be reached at [email protected] or @alyssadunning3 on Twitter.