Sleep is not just for the weak

Image credit: SusanUtley : MorgueFile

"I'm so tired. Sooooo tired."

"I am not functional until I've had one, no two, cups of coffee."

"I set up two alarm clocks because I sleep through the first one."

We've all heard this. And probably even said something similar. To some it's even a mark of pride: to be seen to be just so busy that you have sacrificed sleep to get everything done.  Martyring ourselves for our jobs, our kids, our friends, our families, or just our hobbies.

It's a false economy though. Sleeping less at night leads to fatigue during the day. Fatigue leads to poor memory, physical clumsiness, heightened emotions, irritability, depression, lethargy, depressed immune system, increased desire for comfort foods leading to increased risk of obesity and even further physical depletion.

After a few nights of sleep deprivation, you might just be forgetting where the keys are, bumping into a table, constantly with a head cold and feeling grouchier than usual. But severe sleep deprivation, whether from significantly reduced sleep over a few nights, or just long term reduction in sleep, leads to scarier health issues. Depression and associated risk of suicide, hallucinations and micronaps leading to car accidents, diabetes and heart disease... The list goes on. There's a very good reason that sleep deprivation is condemned as psychological torture!

Are we in fact medicating ourselves for no reason? Feeling miserable and exhausted, we hit up the doctor for an explanation of our failure to perform simple daily tasks. The blood tests reveal no lack of iron, no thyroid disorders, no vitamin deficiencies, no diabetes. So it must be depression: here, have these pills. Perhaps part of the reason for the rising rate of depression being diagnosed is not because we are collectively more miserable, but just not spending enough hours asleep?

Ok! Enough with the doom and gloom. How do we get more ZZZs?

My challenge to you: try, just for a week, going to bed an hour earlier.

1. Leave your phone/tablet/computer in another room where you can't do 'just one more thing'. 
2. If your brain is full of plans and thoughts, write them out in a list so you can relax knowing that the list will be waiting for you in the morning. 
3. Spend a minute before going to sleep trying to relax your body, let it sink into the bed after having such a busy day. 
4. Mentally concentrate not on the events of the day, but on something peaceful (a candle, a stream, a rainbow, a pet, whatever works for you). 
5. And remind yourself how delicious sleep is. How lovely it feels to drift away having earned your rest. Why, it's practically an indulgence. One that won't make you fat, one that won't destroy your wallet, one that will give you more energy for tomorrow's tasks. Go on. You deserve it.

Sleep is not just for the weak: sleep for the week!

See how much better you feel. Then come back and tell me all about it. I'd love to know if it made a difference.