I quieted my alarm at 5:05 a.m. and rolled over to doze an extra two hours, giving myself a full nine hours of sleep. By mid-morning mind and body felt really alert and energetic.
Only one word could describe the feeling of having obtained enough sleep that day: “Precious” – defined as of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services1 Getting enough sleep has many benefits.
It can help you
- Get sick less often
- Stay at a healthy weight
- Lower your risk for serious health problems, like diabetes and heart disease
- Reduce stress and improve your mood
- Think more clearly and do better in school and at work
- Get along better with people
- Make good decisions and avoid injuries – for example, sleepy drivers cause thousands of car accidents every year.
For falling asleep I use the the HeadSpace app. A five minute end-of-the day guided meditation and 45 minute soothing music selection generally send me to slumberland.
My message for the Type A personalities among us is that sometimes it’s O.K. to let go, roll over under the covers and push work deadlines and the to-do list back a few hours.
Paraphrasing the opening words of a well-known hymn… Precious Sleep take my hand…
We will be well-rewarded. WF!
1. Click here for U.S. Government Health website.
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