Snooze

 

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

I caught myself throwing a tantrum over an episode of insomnia last week. It was not an unexpected loss of sleep, in fact, it was a natural side effect of fasting as my body was at rest and did not need as much sleep as usual. The thing about self-awareness though, is that you notice and catch yourself behaving badly and then begin to analyze why.

Sleep is extremely precious to me. Early to bed and early to rise is a mantra I live by with religious devotion. And it’s not just sleep – it is about the hour I go to bed, the level of darkness in my room, the kind of bedding I choose. . . there are many variables to consider before you can expect a near perfect snooze for at least 7 hours a night. Despite all my efforts at continuous improvement, it doesn’t happen perfectly quite as often as I’d like, much to my chagrin.

Sleep plays an important role in human life. It is while we sleep that our brains detoxify and convert recent experiences into long term memory. Sleep time is also the time when our energy-intensive body functions take a break and our bodies can finally do the work of cleaning up our cells, repairing the worn out and damaged ones and collecting the building blocks for new cells. Your body also clears out excess glucose from your blood stream while you sleep by either storing it for easy access when you wake up or storing it for a rainy day in your fat cells. This happens so your insulin levels can be regulated while you rest. In general, sleep is extremely important for your cognitive functioning, your mood, attention span, heart and brain health, the proper functioning of your immune system and your chances of longevity.

When I’m doing great on getting my snoozes, there are some habits I stick to that help. Too bad I forget them once in a while and have to frog-march myself back to the straight and narrow after suffering for a season. One of the good habits is consistency in timing. Setting a specific time to go to bed every day and a get up time as well. Easier said than done but with some discipline in planning, it can be done. Secondly, I cut out all electronics at 8pm or earlier, or else wear blue-light blocking glasses as soon as the sun goes down if I’m to interact with any electronic device. Thirdly, if possible, watch both the sunrise and sunset even for a few minutes daily, especially as you are just beginning to reset your circadian clock. It helps to jump start your body using natural light in the morning as well as to wind your body-clock down by taking the cue that the sun is off and you must follow soon. Fourth, a chaotic bedroom makes for a chaotic night. Ensure there’s some order in your sleeping space and make your bed in the morning – it helps to be welcomed to sleep at night by a tidy bed. Lastly, use up your energy during the day so your body is tired and ready to rest. A work out, a walk, some physically exerting labor during the day all help to prepare you for rest.

Our manufacturer made us to function from sun up to sun down. We then invented electricity and lost our natural circadian rhythm. Reclaim it for yourself if you want to be healthy and sharp in the mind. And one of the best ways to wind down at night as you wait for sleep to whisk you away is to read a book – turn physical pages – not watch TV. Will you be installing new habits?

“Each night, when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

“Without enough sleep, we all become tall two-year-olds.” ~ Jojo Jensen

“Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night.” ~ Charles Fisher