I've always loved sleep. When all my friends were staying up late in middle school, I was asleep by 8 o'clock. In high school, I would sleep until 11 o'clock on the weekends unless I was working, I loved sleep, In my thirties, I had my kids and well, there was no sleep. Between worries, sicknesses and just getting stuff done, I was sleep deprived, In my forties, I thought I was a superwoman. I didn't need sleep. Too much to do, kids, work, side hustle, oh my.
I started to notice little changes in my physical and mental health. I wasn't remembering things easily, I was always tired, I was gaining weight and very crabby, Some of these symptoms I put off as stress, and peri menopause. I did not think of sleep at all. I remember reading aloud to my students and almost falling asleep in mid sentence often.
I began doing research but still didn't put two and two together until my late 40s. It took me years to finally say 'yes' and get some sleep!
Sleep gives the mind and body a chance to repair and recover.
It gives your immunity a chance to do its job and you will get sick less often. It reduces cortisol and helps you maintain a healthy weight. Sleep lowers your risk of heart disease and diabetes. It reduces your stress and improves your mood which allows you to think more clearly and be less crabby. Home and professional life improves as does your patience.
We all have reasons for not getting enough sleep. If it happens every now and then, that's typical but if it happens consistently, not so good. There are ways to help aid in falling asleep. Foods/drinks, meditation and sleep routines, have helped me fall asleep and stay asleep. I have seen such improvement in my weight and cognitive ability since I've been getting my required amount. I can give you a chart but you really need to know yourself. They say, as you get older, you need less sleep. That is entirely not true for me. I haven't wavered over the years in the hours of sleep that is best for me.
In truth, sleep is a step that cannot be skipped if your'e working on good health. It affects both body and mind. I invite you to my 3 day sleep challenge. We are going to discuss sleep challenges and ways to get a better nights sleep. Stay with me all three days and get a free checklist at the end.
You can join the challenge here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/459714275662015/
I hope to see you there!