A number of years ago, I took pride in how little sleep I could get in a night and still function at full capacity the next day. I would often work until 1 am and rise by 5 am to start my day. At the time, I had 2 small children and worked for a company that required being on call 24/7 and traveling frequently. When I was home, I tried to keep up with my household chores, parenting and family responsibilities, find time for friends and self-care. Clearly, I was kidding myself.
Eventually my 4 to 5 hour nights of sleep caught up with me. But there was a brief time when I believed that I was invincible, until I wasn’t.
What I hadn’t realized at the time, was how skewed my perception of the world was when I was sleep deprived. Emotions were more on the surface, feelings were magnified, problems seemed unnecessarily complicated, and life seemed to carry me along in a whirlwind of urgency and anxiety and certainly a lot more drama.
It took me several years to untangle myself from a lifestyle that was taking its toll, day after day. I started to get more sleep and I liked it. I felt more like myself again. I vowed to never go without sleep again.
Do you have Sleep Debt? That’s what the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) calls it when we skimp on sleep and try to navigate our lives in deficit. When we are awake a chemical called adenosine builds up in the bloodstream and when we sleep our bodies break it down, according to NSF researchers. However, when we deprive ourselves of sleep this chemical builds up in the bloodstream and can make us drowsy, slow our overall reaction times to things like driving, decision-making and even bogs down our thinking. Lack of sleep can make it harder to focus and pay attention, impacting overall brain function.
Sleep debt, or inadequate sleep over long periods of time, can impact the heart, lungs and kidneys, our appetites, metabolism and weight control, even our immune function and disease resistance, and, here’s one for you--our sensitivity to pain. Poor sleep is also a risk factor for depression and substance abuse and can leave us more susceptible to diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. Okay, we get it! We need those Z’s.
If this list is incentive enough to push us towards the bedroom, how much sleep is really enough? In a 2015 study by NSF, researchers have updated guidelines on how much sleep we require at different stages of our lives. For adults (age 25 and up), 7-9 hours of sleep is recommended per night.
Making Sleep a Priority
To begin focusing your attention on healthier sleep and a healthier life style, first determine your own individual needs and habits. And notice how you respond to different amounts of sleep. Pay attention to your energy levels, your moods, and your overall sense of well-being after a poor night’s sleep versus a good night’s sleep. Ask yourself, “How often do I get a good night’s sleep?” And “What gets in the way of having a good night’s sleep”?
And, my friends, if you are overly stressed from everything that is currently on your plate, and work-life balance feels impossible, then hire a coach to help you sort out your priorities and make the changes you really want.
Like a healthy diet and exercise, research shows that sleep is a critical component of overall health and well-being.
Here are Some Healthy Sleep Tips from the NSF:
- Stick to the same sleep schedule on weekdays and weekends.
- Follow a relaxing bedtime ritual.
- Exercise daily.
- Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows.
- Make sure the room is set to the right temperature, sound and light.
- Beware of hidden sleep stealers, like alcohol and caffeine.
- Turn off electronics 30 minutes before bed.
And for those of you who find that sleep is still elusive, you can read more about healthy sleep in NSF’s new publication, Sleep.org. Also, learn more about what you may need in order to get a better night’s sleep in The Mystery of Sleep, by Meir Kryger, M.D.
Here’s to getting more restful ZZZZZ’s and enjoying a renewed sense of well-being.
Dawn