I'll Have Plenty of Time to Sleep When I'm Dead

I'm tired. I'm really tired. I'm struggling to write this blog, or do anything for that matter, because I'm so tired. At first, I wasn't even going to write this blog because I felt like a hypocrite. How can I write about the importance of sleep when I'm running on very little sleep myself? The bottom line is, sleep is important, we all know that, but sometimes we all (including myself) need a reminder of why. It's so easy to sacrifice sleep in order to have more time, especially now that we have Starbucks, sugar everywhere, Diet Coke, and Red Bull to get us through the day. But, just because it may be easy, doesn't mean lack of sleep is the best choice.

As I was yawning my way through the day I realized something very strange. People like to brag about the fact that they don't sleep at night. Why do people brag about lack of sleep? I know you've heard it before..

"I only got three hours of sleep last night."
"I didn't go to bed until 2am."
"I've been averaging 4.5 hours of sleep this past week."

Although people say these things in a general "feel sorry for me tone," most of the time people end up trying to one up each other about who is the most tired and it turns in to some sort of weird competition.

"I was up until 2am because I was working." This may be said in a "feel sorry for me tone," but what it really says is that "I'm a harder worker than everyone else who went to bed at a decent hour."

Another common one is this: "I've been averaging 4.5 hours of sleep this week because my daughter has been sick." What this is really saying is that "I'm a better parent than you because I stay up with my child when they are sick at night."

lack of sleep has become a way to define toughness. Being tough is a great trait. I never would have been able to run like I did if I didn't have a little toughness in me. The problem with being tough is that it can lead to bad habits, and that is the case with lack of sleep.

The simple truth is this: Sleep is important. Sleep is very very important. There is a direct correlation between sleep and weight loss, hormone balance, chronic heart disease, and cancer. And that's just the physical side of it. Sleep also is good for the brain. It improves memory and reduces feelings of depression. Who doesn't want that?

The bottom line is this: you can choose to take the tough guy approach and decide to sleep once you're dead, but if you do that, you will be dead, disabled, or dysfunctional much sooner.

Wishing you all Health, Hope, & Happiness
Abby