(Going 24 hours a day is fun but, hey) “Why Is Sleep Important for You?” by Joan Y. Edwards
I had such a good time celebrating my birthday on Friday, January 11, 2013. I am 73 years old. Party, Party, Party. I celebrated for 3 days straight. At the end of those 3 days, I said, “Hold it. Hold it. I am tired. I need to rest.”
I remembered the advice my mother, Ethel D. Meyer, gave me that she learned from a friend: “If you’re feeling really tired, rest 3 days and you’ll feel better. It’ll give your body time to rejuvenate and heal.”
On your days of rest, you don’t have to sleep all the time. I didn’t. I just didn’t go anywhere. I stayed at home. I went to bed earlier at night one night. I slept later in the morning another day. I know that you may have times when you are tired, too. So I decided to write a post to help you put sleep and rest as a top priority in your life. It’ll help you stay healthier and live a longer life. It’s another way to celebrate.
Here are other quotes about sleep that I think you’ll enjoy:
I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I’m awake, you know?
…Ernest Hemingway, Brainy Quote.com
Sleep is the best meditation.
…Dalai Lama, Brainy Quote.com
If you can’t sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there worrying. It’s the worry that gets you, not the lack of sleep.
…Dale Carnegie, Brainy Quote.com
A well spent day brings happy sleep.
…Leonardo da Vinci, Brainy Quote.com
Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
…Benjamin Franklin, Lexiyoga.com
Sometimes I stay up so late that I have my morning coffee before I go to bed.
…unknown, Lexiyoga.com
It’s amazing to see the benefits of sleep. Here’s what I think:
What are the benefits of sleep?
- Body cells replenish, rebuild, and heal.
- If a sickness is trying to take over your body, sleep gives your antibodies a chance to build up their defenses.
- Sleep helps your mood.
- Sleep helps your nerves.
- Sleep gives your subconscious mind a chance to figure out solutions to problems that bug you.
- Sleep opens up your creativity.
- Sleep helps you live longer.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleep is essential to a person’s health. Before television, people used to sleep 8-11 hours a day. Since television, people sleep 6-7 hours. Six or seven hours of sleep isn’t enough. Dr. Diane Zuckerman says you need 8 or 9 hours of sleep. Many of us are wired 24 hours a day. David Randall says, “We’re wired and tired.” Allison Morris and a team on Online Psychology Degree.net did a study about the effects gadgets have on sleep called, “Getting in Bed with Gadgets:” http://www.onlinepsychologydegree.net/2012/11/12/sleeping-with-gadgets/.
Things that disturb sleep
- Too much light
- Strange noises
- Technology wires
- Anxiety and stress about what happened or what’s going to happen
- Uncomfortable mattress
- Uncomfortable pillow
- Not enough covers
- Too many covers
- Not enough room
- Hunger
- Thirst
- Have to go to the bathroom
Lights in the bedroom can keep you from sleeping. Lights from lamps, clocks, televisions, cell phones, iPads, computers. Lights imitate sunshine. Your body thinks it’s time to be awake. The darker your bedroom, the better it is. Put a flashlight or other light source close so you can turn it on when you walk to the bathroom. Many times you can see well-enough without lights to walk around the bedroom. An hour before you go to sleep, unwire yourself. Perhaps read a book or drink a glass of milk without the television or other electronic gadgets going. My grandsons, Luke and Wyatt picked out a turtle to help me go to sleep. It shines stars on the ceiling. It goes out in 45 minutes. If you’re afraid of the dark, perhaps you can buy something that will go off in a 15 minutes.
Problems from a lack of sleep
- Less patience
- Productivity goes down
- Gain weight
- Less alert, memory slow, hard to focus
A lack of sleep causes problems for all people, especially those driving vehicles or operating machinery.
I hope you get an abundance of sleep today. Relax and celebrate you wherever you are and whatever you are doing. You are important to this world. Thank you for being you.
Resources:
- BrainyQuote.com. “Sleep Quotes:” http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/sleep.html
- David Randall. “How to Improve Your Sleep.” http://www.arcamax.com/health/healthvideo/s-1182404
- David Spero. “Sleep is the Best Medicine:” http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/Blog/David-Spero/sleep-is-the-best-medicine/
- Elizabeth Quinn “After Exercise Rest – Why Rest Days Improve Sports Performance:” http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sampleworkouts/a/RestandRecovery.htm
- LexiYoga.com. “101 Sleep Quotes:” http://www.lexiyoga.com/sleep-quotes
- Lifehacker.com. “How to Reboot Your Sleep Cycle and Get the Rest You Deserve:” http://lifehacker.com/5548150/how-to-reboot-your-sleep-cycle-and-get-the-rest-you-deserve#effects
- Dr. Diane Zuckerman. Monkeysee.com. Video. “What can parents do if they don’t feel they have enough time for sleep?” http://www.monkeysee.com/play/7680-what-can-parents-do-if-they-don-t-feel-they-have-enough-time-for-sleep
- Tatjana-Mihaela. “Sleep: The Best Remedy:” http://tatjana-mihaela.hubpages.com/hub/REM-sleep
Thank you for reading my blog. I hope it helps you sleep well.
Never Give Up
Live with Enthusiasm
Celebrate Each Step You Take
Joan Y. Edwards
Copyright © 2013-2016 Joan Y. Edwards
Joan,
I enjoyed the quotes. Your mom had lots of good ones. I’m glad she got recognized here!
Oh yes, sleep is good. Establishing and keeping regular sleeping hours is important.
Perhaps part of the reason for sleeping more hours years back was due to exhaustion from hard work on the farm. Lighting for doing late night reading or other activities wasn’t available unless the family could afford to buy candles or kerosene. Thus, many went on to bed.
With more recreation options today, many choose to stretch their sleep time thin.
Good post. Sleep is definitely important!
Dear Linda,
Thanks for writing. I’m glad you enjoyed the quotes. Thanks for saying that my mother had plenty of good ones. She really did. Her words helped me grow inside. Some made me laugh. Others made me smarter. She had a great sense of humor.
You’re right. I believe that people went to bed with the chickens because they were totally exhausted from all the farm chores. Working on the railroad or working in the mines also left people so tired, they probably dropped right into bed after supper. When women started working in the factories for seemingly unlimited hours, they probably were happy to get in bed. A mother with a newborn baby sleeps every chance she can get. We all have different sleep schedules. Work, school, and recreational activities tempt us away from enough rest.
I hope you get the right amount of sleep you need.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards
I read a funny quote the other day. “Someone told me to follow my dreams, so I went back to bed!” Good one, huh?
I can’t imagine getting so much sleep- eight or nine hours- but I agree with the couple or three days of rest to rejuvenate when you’re stretched thin. Sometimes, if we ignore our own body’s signals too long that we need rest, we don’t hear them anymore. Thanks for the reminder and the great quotes!
Dear Carole,
It’s good to hear from you. I love the quote you sent me. That was very funny. I’m glad you liked the three days of rest to rejuvenate yourself when you’re stretched thin. You are right, if we ignore our own body’s signals too long, we don’t hear them at all. Good point. Thanks for sharing your ideas with us. Celebrate you.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards
Wow! Three days of partying. You go girl! The article on sleep is excellent as are your resource links.
Dear Tracy,
I know. What was I thinking? I was enjoying every second of it. I’m glad you liked my article on sleep and that you thought that it and the resources were excellent.
Celebrate you today.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards
I love this post, Joan. I just wish our kids would understand its importance. I’m not energetic the next day if I don’t get at least 6 straight hours of sleep. Sometimes it’s hard though when my back is aching from arthritis (and we just got a new mattress). Sweet dreams!
Dear Juliana,
Thanks for writing. I’m glad you love this post. Perhaps they will experiment with the idea. Perhaps sleep needs vary from person to person. I can tell a difference. You can tell a difference. Happy zzzzzz’s to you! Enjoy that new mattress.
Celebrate you every day of the year.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards
Belated Happy Birthday wishes, Joan. I’m only a year younger than you. And, yes, sleep is indeed important. Sarah