I’m on holidays and I’m loving every minute! My time off started just over 3 weeks ago. The difference in this break is that it began with me finishing employment at the same place for over 32 years. Needless to say, I have been gradually starting to relax and unwind, although it has taken discipline to not focus on what I have ‘done’ at the end of any particular day. My productivity bias is very strong!
One thing I have noticed is how long and how deeply I have been sleeping. I guess you don’t really know how tired you are until you slow down or stop for a while. I said to Nicole one morning this week that it felt like I had slept at a much deeper level than I had ever experienced in my life before. Like peeling an onion, another layer of tiredness seems to be lifting off me.
When I was younger, I envied people who could survive on only a few hours of sleep a night (or who could work right through the night without a hitch!). I tried to do the same, with initial excitement about all those extra hours I’d be able to free up for work and accomplishing the many projects I was interested in. Well, it didn’t last very long. I soon learned that sleep is like a bank account and you can’t keep making withdrawals without it eventually bouncing through lack of deposits!
I discovered that like most people I need about 8 hours of sleep a night to function best during the day. Yes, I can survive an occasional late night or early morning here or there, but regularly deviating from this daily rhythm doesn’t work for me in the long run. I need a good night’s sleep – every day. And that’s okay.
How have been sleeping lately?
A good night’s sleep is a beautiful thing, renewing our entire being – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. It’s amazing how even challenges or problems look at little different in the morning after a quality sleep. It’s a bit like a mental reset, a fuel tank refill, a windscreen wiper clean, or a computer reboot.
Here are a few tips I’ve found helpful for having a good sleep:
- Make sure your bedroom is as dark as it can be, with no light creeping in.
- A room that is quiet is also important.
- Getting to bed a few hours before midnight seems to help a lot.
- Don’t eat late at night or too soon before going to sleep. Your stomach will be digesting all night … and oh that breath in the morning!
- Don’t drink too much late at night. I try not to drink anything after 8.00 pm. It reduces trips to the toilet during the night.
- Avoid engaging in highly mentally stimulating activities just before bed. Do something more relaxing.
- If you are having trouble sleeping, chat to your doctor.
Good night 🙂
P.S. For 32 more tips, check out the Start Sleeping helpful web site.