Living Outside The Lines: Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

Life…… You know; grocery shopping, commuting, kids’ homework, bath time, watching television, paying bills, cooking dinner, exercising, et cetera. Only eight hours remain, and those hours should be devoted to SLEEP!!
Becky J Miller | Exclusive to Corridor News

Every day that we have breath is a gift. Each daily gift includes twenty-four hours. For the working population, an eight-hour segment of most days is devoted to an employer, leaving a balance of sixteen hours. Theoretically, eight of the remaining hours can be attributed to “life.” You know; grocery shopping, commuting, kids’ homework, bath time, watching television, paying bills, cooking dinner, exercising, et cetera. Only eight hours remain, and those hours should be devoted to SLEEP!!

The sleep portion of our day is where most Americans run into difficulty. A 2013 Gallup poll reported that 40% of us get less than seven hours of sleep. #shameonyou. To the 59% percent of you getting seven or more hours per night, #kudos! Ironically, our sleep habits are down more than an hour nightly since 1942. What’s up with that? Wasn’t moving away from an agricultural lifestyle supposed to make our existence easier??

Sleep deprivation is a serious offense, y’all. Lack of sleep affects judgment & reaction time, causes depression, impacts memory function, and may also be connected to a poor immune system. Here’s a tidbit no one really wants to hear; those hours of sleep we sacrifice in the name of progress can impact mortality rates. Who wants their tombstone to read, “Here lies Sally, she was too busy for sleep, may she rest in peace.” #noone

There are telltale signs indicative of sleep deprivation:

1) Waking up during the night from stress or a bad dream

2) Sleeping past the normal wake up time and feeling worn-out

3) Moodiness, easily irritated

4) Weight gain

5) Daytime drowsiness

6) Forgetfulness & poor performance

If any of these sound familiar, then please, take some time to reevaluate your lifestyle. You matter. Sleep is valuable. Make time for it!!

Me personally, I am religious about my bedtime. My workday starts at 7 a.m., which means if I want to exercise before work, the first alarm sounds at 3:45 a.m. There is no way I can stay up until 11 p.m. and still get enough sleep to be ready to run at least four miles plus be fully alert to perform my job with excellence.

Most nights, it is lights out by 8 p.m. Occasionally I’ll live dangerously and stay up until 9 p.m., but that’s my limit! I know me. I get grumpy when I don’t sleep. Any social functions, including Wednesday night church that interfere with my 8 p.m. bedtime are severely frowned upon.

There is good news for Texans! Sixty-seven percent of us get a good night’s sleep, at least seven hours. For the thirty-three percent who don’t, today is the perfect time to make a change. Come on, give it a try, turn off the lights just thirty minutes earlier. No doubt you’ll be glad you did!

Until Next Time,
Becky J Miller
“Warrior Princess”

Becky J Miller is a contributor and is exclusive to SM Corridor News. You can read more of Becky’s columns in Lifestyle.