Sleep?? Who needs it? Not me!
Yeah, that was my attitude for most of my life. Turns out that I was wrong – I did need sleep and I need it even more now! I used to say “I will sleep when I am dead” or “I must have been a cat in my last life, and got all the sleep that I needed then”. Who KNEW that in my 60’s that I would appreciate, and VALUE my sleep!
When growing up, I apparently missed the memo on sleep. My mom said that I stopped napping before my first birthday and she even asked the doctor what was wrong with me (although, I doubt they knew! haha). I remember in grade six, I would find that reading a book was WAY more interesting than sleep – telling my mom that it was homework. I survived on 4 to 5 hours of sleep a night right up until I was 25 and pregnant. My body knew how to grow a child, and I slept more every night than I had ever slept before. Once I had the kids though, I was back to shorter nights – back to believing that sleep was overrated.
Now I know that sleep is necessary! We need sleep to be our healthiest version of ourselves! Sleep is when all the magic happens – for your brain and your body! Sleep has an impact on every system in your body – heart, lungs, metabolism, immune function, mood, resistance to disease and your brain.
I wish I HAD received the memo on the importance of sleep earlier, as it is during sleep that your pituitary gland releases the growth hormone which helps your body grow. (Hmmm. This could explain why I am vertically challenged!)
During sleep your brain is quite active, not only storing new information, but working hard to clean out toxins and improve how the neurons communicate with each other. This activity allows you to learn new things, create new memories, helps you concentrate, and improves your response time. Everything we NEED to stay healthy and active, especially as we age.
Sleep training an adult is as challenging as it is when sleep training a small child (yes, I know this personally). I had to create new habits and get into (*gasp*) a routine! Getting enough sleep was part of my commitment to becoming the healthiest version of myself - part of my proactive wellness plan.
I will share tips & tricks to getting a good night sleep (Adult Sleep Training) on the website under LEARN, as well as in the Guides section of the FB group.
Wishing you sweet dreams on your journey to a healthier you!
Yours in Joy,
Susan
0 Comments