Do you put enough value on sleep?
Let’s do some math. If you miss an hour of useful sleep each night, in one week you miss the equivalent to a full seven hour night, which is considered the minimum for good health for most adults. That means in a year you have missed 52 nights of sleep, or almost two full months of sleep!
This article at sleepassociation.org explains the effects of not getting enough sleep. A study by the Mental Health Foundation cited in the article really stood out to me, finding that “people that didn’t get enough sleep were four times as likely to suffer from lack of concentration, have relationship problems and 3 times more likely to be depressed and 2.6 times more likely to commit suicide.”
New Habit:
- Beginner: Based on the time you have to wake up, what time do you have to go to sleep to get seven full hours of sleep? Figure out what time you have to start your bedtime routine to get to bed at that time. Set an alarm and when it goes off, start getting ready for bed.
- Next Level: Decide on a reward you will give yourself if you get to bed at your bedtime for twenty days in a row. Then up that and do it for thirty days in a row. Be sure to reward yourself each time.
Journal: What about your sleep habits do you want to change? What impact would it have on your life?