Some nights, I feel like I am on a good bedtime schedule then I slack off and go to bed entirely too late. But if I am not tired yet, should I just force myself to lay down or...? I call myself getting "settled" and at least be in my bed comfortable, usually watching a little television, but that doesn't always happen. I'll wait until my eyes are extremely heavy before I actually "call it a night." Though I wonder, what is one to do when your bedtime routine is jumbled, leaving no room to actually count sheep and allow yourself to get rested?
Granted, the television is a distraction and being on the phone texting, web surfing and what have you, but for some it helps them ease into sleep. Though I will say the last two weeks I have been turning my TV off before bed and putting sleep music on, there's an app called "Sleep Bug." You can select a variety of sounds like the beach, classical, zen, weather sounds etc and even set a timer so that it doesn't play all night. And this has helped me. I find myself more calm as I drift off to sleep.
There are so many studies out they say we should all get at least 8 hours of sleep if I am not mistaken. For the most part I think I get that, but only because most days I get up during different times. I am usually awake by 8 or 9am. But in going to bed at midnight or close to 2 am, I would only be getting roughly 6 or 7 hours. With me currently unemployed, my former steady routine of going to bed and waking up at the same time has shifted. I never like to sleep in too late because I like to keep busy during the day, that's not the issue, it's catching enough Z's!
Now some people might be thinking, "You're not working right now, what does it matter?" or "I wish I could stay up a little longer or sleep in a little later, you've got it easy!" That may be true, I think I do put a lot of pressure on myself to keep active and going to bed at a decent hour, and while this isn't a bad regimen to keep up, I guess I could relax a bit. But nevertheless, getting a good amount of sleep is essential for everyone! It doesn't matter if a person is employed or not. They don't call it "beauty rest" for nothing. Our sleep habits affect us during the day. If you're burnt out from the night before and not getting as much sleep as you could, you may be crabby and not too upbeat during your day. We should all be waking up happy for many reasons (your life) and ready to take on the day, but moreover, sleeping well makes us feel and do better. We are better at our jobs, happier, more filled with ideas and of course energized!
So if you're like me and tired of being tired and of saying it all of the time, let's renew ourselves and get some rest! I don't know about you, but I like a nice beauty sleep-filled night as much as the next person :-). Have a GOOD night.
From my heart to yours,
-Lish
