Sleep. Now there’s a word that many people working today wish they had more of. If you’re one such person who wishes they had more time to sleep (I’m raising my hand here too), then know that you’re part of a growing group that believes they just have to deal with not getting enough sleep.  With the ever increasing complexity of people’s lives over the last few decades, it may appear that we are just doomed to putting up with feeling a little tired all the time. But how true is that? Do we really have to deal with not getting the amount of sleep that we need? Can we really learn to function on less sleep than we may actually need?  How much sleep is enough? Is how sleepy we feel a good judge of whether or not we are getting enough sleep?

You Can’t Handle the Truth!  (Jack Nicolson as Col. Jessup in “A Few Good Men”)

How do we know if we are getting the minimum amount of sleep in order to function? According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), the following are signs that you are definitely not getting enough sleep:

• You have a hard time paying attention during meetings.
• You feel tired and lack energy during the day.
• You are unmotivated and have trouble “getting going.”
• You need to use an alarm clock to wake up on time in the morning.
• You are irritable, grumpy or lose your temper easily.
• You start to doze off when you are driving a car. (DANGEROUS!!!)

A poll conducted in 2005 by the National Sleep Foundation showed Americans averaged about 6.9 hours of sleep per night. This represents a drop of about two hours per night since the 19th century, one hour per night over the past 50 years, roughly 15 to 25 minutes per night since 2001. In another study done at the University of Pennsylvania, investigators found that subjects who slept four to six hours a night for fourteen consecutive nights showed significant deficits in cognitive performance equivalent to going without sleep for up to three days in a row.

How would you like to go to work (or lead a group, or attend a business and/or social function for that matter) on the equivalent of not having gone to sleep for two or three days!?!

So What Can We Do?

The world we live in is an exciting and wonderful place to be. The means of communication, travel, the sharing of ideas and images has never been as easy and readily available as it is today. Because of this, it’s also a very fast and complex world that demands more and more of our time and energy. In order to function well we all need to rest well.

Sleep hygiene is defined as “the controlling of all behavioral and environmental factors that precede sleep and may interfere with sleep.” It’s the practice of following guidelines in an attempt to ensure more restful, effective sleep which can promote daytime alertness and help treat or avoid certain kinds of sleep disorders. Trouble sleeping and daytime sleepiness can be indications of poor sleep hygiene (Wikipedia).

Below are some excellent tips (provided by AASM) for getting a better night’s rest:

1. Don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy.
   If you are not sleepy at bedtime, then do something else. Read a book, listen to soft music or browse through a magazine. Find something relaxing, but not stimulating, to take your mind off of worries about sleep. This will relax your body and distract your mind.
2. If you are not asleep after 20 minutes, then get out of the bed.
   Find something else to do that will make you feel relaxed. If you can, do this in another room. Your bedroom should be where you go to sleep. It is not a place to go when you are bored. Once you feel sleepy again, go back to bed.
3. Begin rituals that help you relax each night before bed.
   This can include such things as a warm bath, light snack or a few minutes of reading.
4. Get up at the same time every morning.
   Do this even on weekends and holidays.
5. Get a full night’s sleep on a regular basis.
   Get enough sleep so that you feel well-rested nearly every day.
6. Avoid taking naps if you can.
   If you must take a nap, try to keep it short (less than one hour). Never take a nap after 3 p.m.
7. Keep a regular schedule.
   Regular times for meals, medications, chores, and other activities help keep the inner body clock running smoothly.
8. Don’t read, write, eat, watch TV, talk on the phone, or play cards in bed.           

9. Do not have any caffeine after lunch.           

10. Do not have a beer, a glass of wine, or any other alcohol within six hours of your bedtime.           

11. Do not have a cigarette or any other source of nicotine before bedtime.           

12. Do not go to bed hungry, but don’t eat a big meal near bedtime either.           

13. Avoid any tough exercise within six hours of your bedtime.
    You should exercise on a regular basis, but do it earlier in the day. (Talk to your doctor before you begin an exercise program.)
14. Avoid sleeping pills, or use them cautiously.
    Most doctors do not prescribe sleeping pills for periods of more than three weeks. Do not drink alcohol while taking sleeping pills.
15. Try to get rid of or deal with things that make you worry.
    If you are unable to do this, then find a time during the day to get all of your worries out of your system. Your bed is a place to rest, not a place to worry.
16. Make your bedroom quiet, dark, and a little bit cool.
    An easy way to remember this: it should remind you of a cave. While this may not sound romantic, it seems to work for bats. Bats are champion sleepers. They get about 16 hours of sleep each day. Maybe it’s because they sleep in dark, cool caves.

Have you ever gone through a day wishing that you had gotten more sleep?

What are some ways you relax at the end of the day (let’s keep it clean here. This is a family friendly blog )?

What are your thoughts on how much sleep we are or aren’t getting today?

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As I write this post, it’s snowing outside, thanks to the courtesy of winter storm Albert coming up the East coast. My town was fortunate to only get 12 to 16 inches. Some other areas of the state got over 24 inches. Due to my injury this past summer, I’m still recovering and medically forbidden from all strong twisting motions that may cause me to re-injure myself. What does that mean? It means I’m not allowed to shovel my own driveway and sidewalk so I’m letting some of the neighborhood kids earn a few dollars shoveling it for me (and no I don’t own a snowblower). In the meantime, I’m stuck at home unable to go out until my driveway is cleared.  This made me think about what I can do with the little bit of time I have until my driveway is clear. “The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine” is a saying that comes to mind. The first time I read it, I thought how profound yet simple. The funny thing is that I recognized it to be so true. Everyone has the same 168 hours in a week. What we get out of it depends a great deal on what we do with it. At the same time, it also depends on what we don’t do with it.

We all have the choice to choose what we do with our time to some extent of another. Whether it is taking care of our children, going to work, taking care of an errand, you name it we all have something we choose to do…even if it’s doing nothing at all.

What do you like to do when you find yourself with time on your hands?

Today I found myself looking at the choices of watching TV or an on demand movie, reading a book, or catching up on my emails. I decided to give myself some time reading a good book. I haven’t been able to do that in a few days and as I started reading, I began to see the images of the world that the book was describing and the story that was unfolding within its words. I read for a little bit, which for me with a good book is a few hours, and then put the book down after saving my place with a bookmark. Growing up so many of my friends despised reading and they did everything they could to avoid doing the reading assignments from school (Cliff Notes, Book Summary Reviews, etc.). Even as an adult I know so many people who would prefer not to read at all if they could help it.  Of all things that a person can do to weaken the growth in their life, choosing not the read is probably one of the worst.

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is for the body” – Sir Richard Steele

Reading can become addictive and a healthy addiction at that. The benefits that come from reading are always guaranteed and they always come to those who read, regardless of whether they are consciously aware of them or not. It doesn’t matter who you are and what it is that you’re reading, the benefits are always there, provided what you’re reading is not trash.

The most wonderful thing that reading offers is a view into another world. When you pick up a book and start reading it, you begin to lose yourself into it. Studies have proven  that reading offers the mind a healthy escape from the everyday routines of life and allows us to recharge our brains a bit. Reading offers us a chance to see the world from someone else’s eyes, thus broadening our minds to other points of view and new possibilities. Reading is also a great imagination booster and it helps to give people a better sense of creativity. If you ever find yourself needing a new idea for a project at work or simply a fresh design for a new pillow cover, all you need to do is read. It doesn’t mean that you’ll necessarily find the idea you’re looking for in what you’re reading, but the very act of reading allows the mind to wander into another mode of thinking allowing the creative reserves of your mind to flow. Reading has also been shown to help people with focus and concentration.

-Did you know that the average American only reads one book a year?

-And that 60% of average Americans only get through the first chapter?

-CEOs of Fortune 500 companies read an average of four to five books a month.

Why am I saying this about reading? Because of all the things we can do to improve the quality of life, reading has to be the most inexpensive and also one of the most powerful ways to do it.

“Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders must be readers.” — Harry S. Truman

“The ability to read awoke inside me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive.” — Autobiography of Malcolm X, 1964

“You’re the same today as you’ll be in five years except for the people you meet and the books you read.” — Charlie “Tremendous” Jones

“No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” — Confucius

“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” — Dr. Seuss, “I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!”

I challenge every person who doesn’t read to try the following: For 7 days, plan out 10 to 15 minutes everyday to do nothing but read a book on something you’d like to know more about. Do it at the same time each day if you can. A simple way to choose a book to read is to go to a nearby Border’s or Barnes and Noble and choose a book from their best seller selection. These are usually not expensive and can be bought in paperback form (less expensive than hardcover). After 7 days, see if you notice anything different with the way your mind is. You may notice that you are more focused on certain things than you usually are or you may feel that you are accomplishing more than you’re use to accomplishing. Whatever you notice, I’m willing to wager that you’ll notice some form of positive benefit in your life just by taking a little bit of time each day to read.

What would you like to do better in your life? It’s a good chance that reading will help!

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They say the secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine and the below addresses it very well. Although many have claimed fame to it, the official author is anonymous. I came across this a number of years back and it struck a strong cord with me then as it does now. I printed it out and I have it hanging on my wall in my office so that I can be reminded of the important lesson it reminds us of.

This has made such a strong impact on my life that I wanted to share it with you!

The secret for you is hidden in the poem’s message…enjoy!

Habit

I am your constant companion.

I am your greatest helper or your heaviest burden.

I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.

I am completely at your command.

Half the things you do, you might just as well turn over to me,

And I will be able to do them quickly and correctly.

I am easily managed; you must merely be firm with me.

Show me exactly how you want something done,

And after a few lessons I will do it automatically.

I am the servant of all great men

And, alas, of all failures as well.

Those who are great, I have made great.

Those who are failures, I have made failures.

I am not a machine,

though I work with all the precision of a machine

Plus the intelligence of a man.

You may run me for profit, or run me for ruin;

It makes no difference to me.

Take me, train me, be firm with me

And I will put the world at your feet.

Be easy with me, and I will destroy you.

Who am I?

I am HABIT!

What has habit given you? What has habit taken away from you? Can you think of anything that habit may be of use to you or someone else?

What are your thoughts on the power of HABIT?

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