Keep On Sleepin’ On

All the benefits of a good night’s rest laid out in one handy list — for the next time you ask yourself why you stayed up so late, AGAIN…

Most of us have been hearing it since we were kids:

“GET TO BED! YOU NEED YOUR SLEEP! YOU’VE GOT A BIG TEST TOMORROW! WE’RE LEAVING FOR THE BEACH AT 5AM! YOU’RE SO CRABBY!”

(Maybe I was the only one to get that crabby bit, BUT…) I was a night owl by genetic code. My life seemed to find new purpose once the sun went down — it was just always the right time for curating my mixed tapes, rearranging my room (again), tapping into the still-undiscovered-as-of-yet-but-sort-of-lame-anyway poet inside my heart.

So Mom’s near-daily barrage of demands for more sleep usually fell on selectively deaf ears. I heard her, but I didn’t really bother doing anything to abide. That was just…me. Little, tired me. With great cassette tapes and a new bedroom layout every few weeks – and enough scratches in the hardwood flooring to prove it.

Cut to years later — learning to drive, exploring diner grilled cheeses, befriending bartenders… And my vampirish routine proved stronger than ever. Except that the late-night resourcefulness I nourished in my youth gave way to a lot of late-night socializing. D0n’t get me wrong — I loved it. If anything I was just a little older (and a little bigger, thanks to aforementioned sandwiches). But, as I’m older still and now trading kid-rearing and personal wellness for midnight shenanigans, I’ve changed my tune. There is something magical about working and creating by starlight, but I don’t know for sure that it beats out waking up with a full 7 or 8 hours’ rest under my belt.

For those of you who don’t really know the benefits of sleep, or just want a helpful reminder, read on:

Sleep is a memory booster.

Adequate sleep, which most research claims to be 7-8 hours in succession, is said to improve memory, both before and after learning a new task.

Sleep may regulate your mood.

Insufficient sleep may result in irritability and stress. And this can create a vicious cycle of waking anxiety and fluctuating moods, and difficulty falling and staying asleep. Healthy, uninterrupted sleep can enhance our overall well-being.

Sleep allows time for healing.

During sleep, your body produces hormones which encourage the reparation of sore or damaged muscle tissue and blood vessels. Your body also uses this time to make more white blood vessels to aid in building up your immunity.

Sleep is instant skin care.

While you sleep, your body produces human growth hormone, an essential component of  collagen. Collagen is the protein responsible for that shiny hair, strong nails, and glowing skin. Sleep also provides your body the opportunity to deliver fluids to those organs and tissues in need of replenishment.

So, consider using daylight to your advantage — perfect your bedroom layout, dedicate a space for your phone that sits away from your bed. Begin preparing for bed at the same time every night. And soon, you’ll have more energy to curate the Spotify playlists of your dreams.

 

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4 years ago

Thanks for sharing such a great post.