I’ve written about napping before here, but not much about the art of sleep itself.
Sleep, glorious sleep.
Perhaps that’s because, as important as sleep is to our lives and health, I’ve been lucky never to have to worry about it much.
Sleep came easily for me for most of my life. Too easily, if that’s possible.
I was never much fun at sleepovers as a kid. My mind and body start to sink down into a sleep state at about 9 pm or whenever it gets dark. I’ve been known to fall asleep even in loud, busy and active circumstances like at a party, club or concert. I once even napped while vertical on a standing-room-only train.
I’m not narcoleptic. My body and brain just close up shop at a certain time and there’s not much I can do about it.
Sleep is essential and I was hardwired from birth to prioritize a good night of rest, whether I like it or not. I saw this as a personal flaw for many years, but now I know that it’s actually a superpower.
While working at The Kids Mental Health Foundation, I began to realize what a gift it is to have a good night of sleep as a given most every night. We have many resources about how important sleep is for our overall physical and mental health. Without good sleep, it’s all too easy to get sick, feel stressed or irritable, and even develop depression and anxiety symptoms.
If you’ve ever had someone close to you suffer from insomnia, you know that it’s a form of hell on earth. Kids and adults need healthy sleep for focus and motivation with our daily activities – school, work, sports, hobbies and extracurriculars.
As a grownup, I do a few things right in the sleep department – and a few things wrong. First, the things I do wrong: I share my bed with two dogs (sorry, not sorry) and I keep my phone nearby. Ideally, phones should be kept in a separate place to allow for optimal rest and fewer temptations to stay up scrolling.
Next, the things I do right: I have invested in comfy pillows, bedding and a good mattress. I keep my room cool and dark. I try to go to bed around the same time every night and get up at around the same time every morning. And, I strive for physical activity on most days, which helps to tire me out and get me ready for bed.
Now that I’m older and wiser, I appreciate my seemingly innate need to head to bed soon after 9 pm. I still don’t know where it came from – was it from my parents enforcing an early bedtime all through my growing-up years? I’m trying to pass this gift along to our teen daughter, who often prefers to stay up later than she should.
She might not think it’s cool now, but maybe one day Z will look back and be glad that I encouraged her to prioritize sleep and a reasonable bedtime. It truly makes our mind and body feel better when we’re well-rested. Getting enough healthy sleep is an important form of self-care.
Is sleep a gift and superpower for you, or do you have to work at it? I’d love to hear your sleep tales in the comments below or over on Instagram or Facebook.
