Sleep

It seems like sleep or rather, the lack of, has been in the media quite a bit recently. The Today show has been doing a segment about it this week and the subject keeps popping up from various other sources too. “They” are saying now that sleep is not just as important, but that it’s even more important, to one’s health and well-being than diet and exercise. More important to your health than diet and exercise. I don’t think I know even one person who consistently gets 8 hours a night. I know that I don’t (and for no good reason either). I heard a blurb somewhere, I think it might have been on Oprah or something, that said, “you can not be the person you were meant to be unless you’re getting eight hours of sleep a night”. I kind of like that, it sums it up neatly for me. And it kind of makes sense, if you think about it. You’re not as sharp or as intelligent. You don’t have as much energy or passion or enthusiasm or whatever as you would have if your body was getting enough sleep. Anyway, I don’t have children, I have a ridiculously short commute, and I am generally a pretty good sleeper. Or I am, once I finally turn the lights out. I have no excuse not to be getting my 8 hours. No excuse except that I just stay up too late at night. I watch TV, I am on the computer (I mean, at least two nights this week I was still logged into work at 11 PM – I just got a bug in my brain about something I’m working on). I finally go upstairs and get into bed and that’s when the reading starts. Half the time, I’m turning the lights off at 1, 1:30 AM. And getting up around 6:30 AM. Not acceptable. Last night I think I managed to turn the lights off at 11, and it’s amazing how much better I feel. No wonder all I want to do on a weekend is laze around and relax. I’m exhausted from lack of sleep. This is probably the most easily fixed thing in my life, so I really need to be conscious of it and really work on getting that consistent sleep. Like, starting NOW.