3 Lessons from a Month of Sleep

This last month of April, I focused on improving my routines and getting more sleep.

So how did I do? I wasn’t perfect, but I definitely have gotten better at prioritizing sleep.

One of the things I did during this month was take naps. Historically, I don’t take naps. But, I decided that I needed it this month, and it really helped with my overall energy level. I actually got pneumonia in April, so I think that I needed even more rest than usual!

I also worked on getting to bed earlier, which is the hardest thing for me. I usually have so many things going on during the day that it is hard to stop at a reasonable time. When I don’t go to bed early, it’s so much harder to wake up early.

Another thing I worked on was staying off of my phone before bed. I did okay on this, but definitely had a late night phone binge or two.

Although I didn’t carry out my resolutions perfectly, I have definitely become more conscious of my sleep and routines. I know I got more sleep in April than I did in March, so that’s a win! Here are a few things I’ve learned during my month of sleep:

1) It’s not cool to run on fumes.

There’s this weird “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” attitude in the US. People seem to be proud of how little they sleep. Why? I’ve found that it takes much more up-front work to get enough sleep. I think we should be proud of how much we sleep, not how little.

2) I have to be firm with myself.

“I’ll just watch one YouTube video.” No you won’t. I won’t either. I’ll watch two, then three, then ten. I can do that later; I’ve only got so much time to sleep every night.

3) Sleep boosts my productivity.

I can’t do anything well, especially writing, when I’m exhausted. When I don’t sleep, I don’t think well. And no matter how much I study, one night of inadequate sleep will dramatically decrease my ability to do well on a test. I am much more creative, happy, and resilient when I’m well rested.

Sleep is one of our body’s basic needs. We simply can’t function well without it. Tonight, I challenge you, go to bed early and get some shut-eye. You won’t regret it.