We’ve had a good week regarding getting The Teen to the bus on time for school and making sure WE get up on time. I attribute that to one positive thing I have put into practice this week: going to bed at a decent time and getting a good night’s sleep.
Are You Sleeping Well?
I’ve caught several podcasts lately about the importance of good sleep. Apparently, I didn’t have good “sleep hygiene”. Haha! I never knew such a word existed. My usual routine has been to plop into the recliner around 9:00 PM with my iPad and catch up on blogs and a few other sites I visit. Before I knew it, it would be close to midnight. Then I’d get in bed WITH MY PHONE and look at Instagram or some other site that showed reels, and before I knew it, it would be 1:00 or 2:00 AM. Then I would finally go to sleep, just to have to get up a very short few hours later. It was even worse when the hubby was off work during the holidays. We would stay up super late. him watching TV while I surfed the net on my iPad and slept in a little later. Sleeping in late just throws my whole day off, even if I have nowhere to be.
This is WHY It Matters
We all know that a lack of sleep can really do a number on you. When I haven’t slept enough, it affects my mind the worst. I’m slower thinking and moving, for sure. It wasn’t until I finally heard one of the sleep experts say that sleep is the time when your body repairs itself. And Lord knows, my body NEEDS some repair! Haha! I figured trying to get a better night’s sleep is such a simple and free practice I could incorporate to try to see some positive results. And you know what? I think it’s working!
I’m trying to be in bed at 9 PM so I can be asleep by 10:00 PM. I’ve traded the phone for my Kindle Paperwhite and read a book. When I’m finally ready to sleep, I click on my fan and wake up at 5:00 AM feeling so rested and ready to start my day. I’m not feeling sluggish and my mind feels sharp. Even my mood seems to be improving.
Give Your Brain a Rest
I noticed that watching Instagram reels just hyped my mind up, and I couldn’t stop scrolling. I’ve read that the brain is getting little hits of dopamine each time we watch these little short videos, and your brain just craves more and more. Constant little shots of dopamine while feeling great are what leads to addiction. If you’ve ever seen someone who just can’t put their phone down or someone who can’t pay attention for longer than twenty seconds…this may be exactly why. Sleep loss can even cause a hormone imbalance that can cause overeating and weight gain. I’m looking at myself here…
Researching the body repair aspect of sleep and trying it for myself has made me a believer! While I’m getting 7 hours of good, restful sleep and feeling ok, I could probably do a little better. But I’m okay with this, and it’s working out so far. It’s just blowing my mind that something so simple (sleep) has so many benefits. I honestly never gave it that much thought, but I’m glad I did.
Do you get enough sleep at night? Do you have a nightly routine to “set the mood” for a good night’s sleep? I’d love to hear about it!
Image by Ylanite Koppens from Pixabay
I read a book a few years ago called “Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams” by Matthew Walker. The book focuses on the science and importance of sleep. I found it fascinating, as it also explores how other creatures sleep. The last part of the book focuses on habits for better sleep. Several of us at work read the book and loved it. However, others didn’t care about all of the science and just wanted to get to the parts about sleeping better. They didn’t like the book as much. I recommend it if it’s a subject you’re interested in.
That all makes a lot of sense. I get off the computer by 7PM every night. I usually fall asleep around 10PM of so. I do get decent sleep most nights.
I’ve been guilty of this too – staying up too late, then looking at my phone… I’m trying to do better and I can feel it!