Sleep has so many benefits. As I try to figure out how to start my blog. I want it to be positive, useful, and timely. Since I’m feeling a little down about work and home, I think it’s a good idea to focus on something that did go well recently: sleep!
Last week, we returned home after a 9-night vacation. It was a wonderful trip, and I’ll write more later about healthy and less-healthy food, tons of physical activity, and running and being a tourist in the heat. For now, I’ll talk about sleeping.
At home, I run 6 days a week, and wake to an alarm clock each of those days. So, I only sleep as long as I can one day a week. On our vacation, I slept without an alarm clock for several mornings in a row for the first time in years, excluding some time in 2022 when I was in the hospital, which wasn’t exactly restful.
I averaged about 11 hours a night. My son, age 8, averaged about 12 hours a night. We agreed that we could have slept longer, too! Our hotel was wonderful; the beds were comfortable, the room was dark and quiet, and I’d brought my own pillow and an electric blanket. Yes, it’s summer and we were in a hot place, but I need heat to sleep!
The week-plus of sleeping as much as I wanted was like magic. I felt so much better. I could think better, and my muscles didn’t hurt so much. I knew I’d been short on sleep, as I’d been taking naps for months before the trip. And I knew from experience that everything feels better with adequate sleep.
Of course, there’s a ton of research on the benefits of sleep. It helps with blood sugar control and hunger. It reduces cravings and encourages healthier food choices. It increases energy so it’s easier to exercise. It reduces accidents, and improves mood.
So why don’t we all get enough sleep every night?
There are a lot of reasons, which we can talk about another time! For now, let me just encourage you – and myself – to get enough sleep tonight!
Thanks for reading, and please let me know in the comments how you feel about sleep!
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