The subject of today's article is sleep.
Normally, I am the poster child for getting a good night's rest, especially since I started getting up at 4:45 am to drive Hailey to seminary and workout. Unfortunately, tonight is not that night. I woke up with an upset stomach and haven't been able to settle back down. This is what I get for eating "just one" boneless buffalo wing at 10pm.
I used to be the friend who had everyone over until all hours of the night hanging out. I'm simply too old for that now. No more! The next morning is always looming over the horizon (most of the time... I cringe to say it... I watch it come up) and I am needing to go to bed early.
According to the latest research, the average adult should be getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Teenagers should be getting that same amount and smaller children should get more than that. Lately, I can honestly say that I have been getting between 7 and 8 per night. Hailey and Katie are old enough to handle themselves all night, and this whole seminary thing has one of them crashing by 9pm. Now, our whole family does.
On the weekends, DJ tries to push the late nights by watching tv in our room. I don't even stress about it. I roll over and go to sleep, because I am so tired. I thank my parents for teaching me to sleep anywhere, anytime. It is a gift! (Now... if I could just get that tv out of the bedroom all together.. Life would be awesome!)
So... why am I up at 2:41 am you ask??? Quite simple. So many things affect our sleep and one of mine is my diabetes. It is becoming increasingly apparent to me that if I eat after 8pm, I'm gonna be up in the night. It doesn't matter what I eat, I'm gonna be up. Fortunately, aside from leading music at a church activity, driving Hailey and Katie around and watching 2 football games, tomorrow is light, so I can nap if I need to. Not too shabby for a Saturday!
I have been working on things to improve my sleep.
- I have a really good pillow. It is mine. No one is allowed near it.
- I have my own blanket. I love my husband, but I need my own covers. I control my body core temperature, and that helps me sleep.
- The room is kept cool, with a fan on for "white noise".
- Light blocking drapes. Just sayin....
- A bedtime routine. Mine consists of putting on jammies, brushing my teeth, checking my calendar, checking my phone, saying my prayers and lights out. I don't even read in bed anymore.
Give it a shot, and get your family in on it too!
Happy sleeping!
No comments:
Post a Comment