Disclaimer: This blog does not advise, advocate nor support the use of drugs.
“You can sleep when you’re dead” was a common phrase I used when I was in my early twenties partying like a rock star; out with friends Friday, Saturday, and even Sunday night pending a long weekend. Rolling in at early hours of the morning only to use a phrase my father used when he was my age to his parents, “Why come home late at night when you can come home early in the morning.” Of course, that never went over well. Sleeping the day away was often restless, tossing and turning waking up multiple times because I was utterly hungover. Despite enjoying life a little too much, one aspect of my sleep that was never jeopardized was laying awake due to work.
Early on in my career, I received sage advice from a very wise project engineer seeing how stressed I was over a design I was working on not going well. He told me, “work will be here tomorrow, go home and get some sleep” – a mantra I incorporated into my life and was quite easy to adhere to until I became a leader.
Six months into my new role in management, my health was not as pristine as I would’ve liked. I was gaining weight because of poor diet – with my days filled with meetings, feeding myself was a challenge and when I did eat, my choices were poor; move over broccoli, I want French fries! When it was time for bed, even though I was physically fatigued, I could not turn off my brain. I kept adding items to my ever-growing to-do list, I would recap all the things that did not go well during the day and strategized what I could’ve done better. To top it all off, the feeling of being completely overwhelmed was crippling. I was failing and fading all at the same time – the exhaustion related to poor sleep was catching up to me real fast.
I made an appointment to see my doctor as I thought a sleeping aid would be the solution to my sleepless nights. Of course with much resistance from my doctor, he recommended all sorts of holistic treatments but he eventually prescribed a sleeping aid after not letting up. Jackpot! My days of counting sheep were over.
It’s interesting what happens to you when the thing you wanted is now in your hands. I filled the prescription and put the bottle on my counter and stared at it for quite some time. The reality of how absolutely ridiculous this was kicked in. I am too young to be taking sleeping pills and of course, I ran down the worst-case scenario in my head about becoming addicted only to want something stronger, and BAM! my life would be over. Dramatic, YES but it scared me into thinking clearly.
Before taking a single pill, I ditched the bottle in my medicine cabinet and signed up for a gym membership instead. Within a week of working out with a trainer and taking cardio classes in between sessions, I was eating healthier as I was craving good wholesome food, my body started to transform but more importantly, my sleep quality improved where I was falling asleep quickly and the sleep itself was peaceful and sound.
Sleep has become a critical component of my self-care regimen and leadership requirement. Getting eight hours of good quality sleep each night is crucial for me to perform at my optimal best. When I am rested, I become laser-focused. I am able to pay attention unable of being distracted by wandering thoughts. The quality of my contribution to my team and organization has elevated and this has resulted in me feeling like I can conquer anything! Our brain needs sleep to repair, recover and regenerate; there is a lot of scientific evidence to supporting having a good nights sleep will improve all areas of your life including your health. If you want to be successful – SLEEP!
References:
http://ariannahuffington.com/thrive
https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/sleeping-to-succeed/
My Sleep Routine
My Sleep Routine: 8hrs of sleep means I need to be in bed at 10 pm to wake up at 6 pm
Dinner: Finish eating dinner no later than 7:30 pm – it’s important not going to be full as this is uncomfortable
Pre-bedtime Alarm: Based on needing 8hrs of sleep and thus having to be in bed at 10 pm, the pre-bedtime alarm lets me know when I need to start preparing myself for bed – the alarm goes off at 9:15 pm
No Devices: (This one is hard as I love scrolling through Instagram) The backlight of my devices are changed to a soft yellow glow between the hours of 8 pm-7 am which has rid me of the feeling of being wired when starting at the screen. I do keep books (yes physical books) on my bedside table to read between 9:30 pm-10 pm.
Sleeping Mask: I like my room very dark and not having invested in black-out blinds, a sleeping mask does the trick.
Bed: I LOVE my bed! Your bed should feel luxurious, a sanctuary that beckons you to snuggle up under the sheets. Splurge on sheets, duvets, pillows, and faux fur throws. In winter months, I add an electric blanket to the layers – AMAZING!!!
Alarm: I use the app, SLEEP CYCLE. This app has cool features: (i) Uses your phone’s microphone to track your sleep; (ii) Analyzes your sleep quality but factors you enter, location, air pressure, etc; (iii) Once the alarm is enabled, alerts are silenced
