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Thanks to everyone who sent feedback through about ‘the wellness ethic’. You confirmed the biggest challenge can be ‘stickability’ and allowing yourselves the time and space to be the best you.
So, let’s look at sleep. Not the science behind it. I’ll leave that to the experts. Like The Sleep Health Foundation, Harvard Health , or Dr Mercola from Mercola.com .
Sleep can so easily suffer when life gets in the way. We get busy. Our partners and families need us. We’re out socialising. Sport activities run late. Travel plans are disrupted due to delays. We’ve got things on our mind. We’re unwell.
Today I’m focussed on what I know about sleep, or lack of it, and its impact.
My Sleep Story
I grew up with the philosophy you get up at the same time each day, regardless of what time you went to bed. That you’d catch up the next night. And because I always slept really well, and very deeply for around 5 – 6 hours, I was told by many professionals I needed less sleep. So all was good.
That was before becoming a Mum. Then broken sleep kicked in. And that ‘parental half sleep’ where you seem to be perpetually half awake ready to leap out of bed in response to your child or a strange noise.
I’ve always had lots on my plate and worked to get things done ‘straight away’. Being deadline driven, and a ‘do it now’ person meant it wasn’t unusual for me to pull all nighters to get work done. At School, Uni and College. Especially in my own business. I knew I wasn’t alone. Even in the health and wellness areas I worked in. Somehow, it all went with the territory and our work ethic.
Then I learned about the importance of sleep. Or more importantly, the impact of being blind to how important it is. And the more I learned, the more I could see, and feel, what was happening with my body and mind depending on how much I slept.
I knew from my Personal Trainer how even one hour less sleep a night could run down our immune system significantly. That was long after I knew that, when other people thought I was getting the flu, I knew I was just overtired. And with a big catch-up sleep, I would be right as rain the next day – which I always am.
I know I’ve had a tendency to eat when I’m tired. And often eat late.
I knew way before the research confirmed it, that pushing on and working when you’ve had little or no sleep, affected productivity. Yet I pushed on, as so many of us do. Ability, skills, resilience, commitment and discipline all kicking in.
The real kicker for me was committing to Triathlon. I wore a Heart Rate Monitor when I trained. That was when I started to see a connection between my resting heart rate and what was happening in my body. Yep, when I hadn’t slept well, or much, my heart rate was higher. So, I learned to adjust my training to match.
I also learned the hard way, that training when I was over-tired and over-stressed can lead to sports injuries. Not necessarily injuries that are obvious straight away. Ones that could take a while to heal.
My relationship with sleep is now one of respect. I know what works for me. Do I still do late nights? Sure. I just work to still get my 7 hours sleep – whatever that looks like.
My Favourite, Tried and Tested, Sleep Tips
Sleep has an impact on our emotional and physical health, how well we play our roles in life, our resilience. It impacts our thinking and all kinds of decision making. It affects our safety at home, work, play, and on the roads. So here are some of my favourite tips:
- Stop Eating at least 3 or 4 hours before bed.
- Sleep in a dark room – at night, when it’s dark.
- Allocate sleep time – If you want to get 7 hours sleep a night, set that time aside. It’s the only way it will happen. The best use of your phone at night might be to set the alarm to remind you when it’s bedtime.
- Screen time – Where possible, end screen time at least 30 minutes before bed. Reading is always a good option as a wind down.
- Devices and LED lights – keep them out of your bedroom. That means no TVs, phones, even LED alarm clocks. Opt for the old fashioned alarm clock instead of the phone.
- Forget the snooze button – set your clock for the time you want to get up. Then do it. Knowing your morning plan, like getting some exercise, can make it easier.
- Listen to your body – Sometimes you need more sleep. It might be because you’re unwell, have things on your mind, or simply that you’re overtired. Rather than fight it, why not go with it? Even a nap may be just what you need to recharge the batteries and stay on top of things.
Does this strike a chord? Let me know.
Until next time… here’s to a good night’s sleep!