Good Sleep

When we came home from our trip to Poland, Prague and Germany in May, we arrived at San Francisco International Airport at 3:30 in the afternoon. If you live in California, you know that is the absolute worst time to travel East from the Bay Area into the Central Valley. It took us almost three hours to get home. (Without traffic, we should be able to make it in two.) We were exhausted, but after showering and a good night’s sleep, we woke up the next day revived and refreshed. When I saw my neighbor that morning, she commented on how well I looked and asked how I felt. When I said I was great, she said, “You do know jet lag is going to kick in soon, right?” No. I didn’t. But she called it. Only a few hours later, I was sprawled out on the couch in a deep sleep that lasted hours.

No offense to Taylor Swift, but I didn’t choose jet lag; it chose me. This was not a part of the adventure that I had considered. I probably should have planned for it, but I was more worried about my sleep before and during the trip. I won’t make that mistake again. It took me a couple of weeks to fully recover. There were days when I ached with physical exhaustion and walked around in a cognitive fog. (Even worse than usual.)

Sleep has always been vital for me. My mother used to blame my need for more (than normal) sleep on a bout of Mononucleosis when I was about twelve years old. Fortunately, getting good quality sleep has never been an issue for me. It’s the duration that makes the most significant difference.

Diet, exercise and sleep are the essential elements for good health. Most of us are aware of how the food we eat or how we move (or don’t move) makes us feel. But we tend to ignore our sleep habits. Sometimes, we feel guilty about sleeping more than others think is necessary. We’ve all had friends brag about their lack of sleep. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” The truth is you’ll be dead faster if you don’t take time to rest your body and brain.

Leroy and I have developed the habit of a consistent bedtime and nine hours of sleep each night. Of course, there are exceptions, but we try to keep them to a minimum. We are in bed by 8:00 pm and up at 5:00 am daily. (Yes, even in the summer when it’s still light outside. We have great blinds in our bedroom.) Our friends and family make fun of us, and they know that texting us after 8:00 pm is a waste of time. Some even make fun of us. But we don’t care. It works for us and has been one of the easiest healthy habits we’ve built.

It’s never too late to work on a healthy habit. I think sleep is one of the best. Make your mental and physical health a priority with good sleep. Set yourself up for success by developing a shut-down routine. If you can’t sleep, I recommend reading the most boring book you own. If you’re a night owl, adjust your schedule to sleep later in the morning. Just make sure you’re getting the hours you need.