Things are REALLY hectic for me right, now! I am extremely busy and I sometimes don’t want to go to sleep early so I can catch up on things before tomorrow BUT I have realised that this is not a good tactic.
I know many moms can relate. After the kids are in bed, you just want to have a few moments to yourself to enjoy the quiet and get things done…but then we land up going to bed late. In the morning we feel less than refreshed and the cycle continues.
I recently wrote a letter to myself from my future self. Here is a snippet from it:
Dear Current Denise…
…Denise, I want you to know how great I feel right now! The benefits of your goal are well worth the effort, I promise. I am more rested, my health has improved and I am getting things done. I know you were concerned that the less time you spent on getting things done and the more time you spent on sleeping would have a negative impact, but that is not true. I am solving problems faster, my family relationships are improving and I am learning to prioritise better. Being healthy is enabling me to serve better.
I want to give you some tips and ideas that I have learned through this process. Wake up! Even when you are tired, even when you have had broken sleep; wake up on time and get your body used to the routine. You will feel less tired in time.
Write a list of things to do for the next day, each day, and then go to sleep; even if you have not completed everything you had planned to do. Let go of the stress, try to keep… perspective on things and see things for what they really are. Eat well and often. Keep hydrated. Make time for that Zumba class!
I know you are already learning to set boundaries and to say no when necessary, keep doing this but always say yes to your Heavenly Father. He knows what you need and how to help you…
…Denise, your health is important…
…Keep going! You got this.
Love,
Future Denise
“Mothers really underestimate the importance of getting enough sleep,” says Jodi A. Mindell, PhD, a professor of psychology at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and author of Sleep Deprived No More: From Pregnancy to Early Motherhood — Helping You & Your Baby Sleep Through the Night. “Sleep deprivation has so many serious consequences for their health and their families.”
…sleep experts are trying to get people to change their attitude about sleep. “We really need to look at sleep as something that’s just as important to good health as diet and exercise,” Ronald Kramer, MD, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and a specialist at the Colorado Sleep Disorders Center in Englewood, Colo.
Roth agrees. “We have good data linking insufficient sleep with all sorts of problems,” Roth tells WebMD. “It’s connected to poor performance at work, obesity, diabetes, excessive risk-taking behavior, and heart disease.” Honestly, if you pick a disease or health problem at random from a medical text, it’s probably worsened by or linked to sleep loss.
If looking after your own health isn’t enough to get you to change your habits, remember that you’re not the only one affected. If you’re constantly tired, your whole family will feel it.
Conclusion
We all need to get some sleep! You need it and your family needs you to sleep. Sleep is important for our health and well-being.
How many hours do you sleep each night? Tell us in the comments below!
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