Getting enough sleep

We do it from the day we’re born until the day we die;  and still it’s confounding.    At times, sleep happens when you want it least;  then it refuses to happen when you want it most.   No wonder it’s the basis of dreams—-and desperation.

Getting enough sleep might seem a little silly to be part of my commitment for Choose You—especially if you compare it to diet or exercise. 

So, okay, maybe those are more challenging—-but sleep is still a crucial pillar of health.   Lack of sleep has so many health consequences I can’t begin to list them.  Medical experts say 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night is one of the most important things you can do for overall health and wellbeing.

I know this, of course.  Once I even wrote a magazine article about it.   And yet, I don’t do it.

I’m a nightowl;  I don’t think I’ve routinely gotten anything close to 8 hours sleep since the days when my parents strictly enforced my bedtime.   

Luckily I’m one of those people who can get by on less sleep.  I took pride in my ability to function on less sleep and figured this was a good thing—-giving me so many more hours in the day to do more good things.    It was useful through my entire adult life—from college (when no one sleeps anyway) through becoming a parent (when no one sleeps anyway).   

Now that the kids are grown and the nest is empty,  I still don’t get enough sleep.    I would like to can’t blame it on anyone else.   My husband gets to bed at a ridiculously early normal hour.  And our cat —already proving to be a great supporter in keeping me from eating sugar—is equally supportive about bedtime, no matter what time it is, she’s always ready to cuddle up and go to sleep with me –and on me.

So getting more sleep is all up to me….and like anything else, I think it comes down to two of my weakest areas:  discipline and routine.  I’m working on it.  

Meanwhile I wonder if I turn this around and ask the same question-: Do you get enough sleep?  I’m betting—– you don’t either.