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Sleep Deeper: How Was Your Challenge Month?

By Jenny Steadman August 15, 2014
Did you do it?

Did you follow through on the challenge from last month?

In case you missed it, I challenged all of you to track your sleep, see how much you are getting and how you feel when you get more or less of it. 

I challenged this and also finding more time to get personal stuff accomplished. With work, school and fitness on my plate, I decided that the best way to check off my to-do list is to wake up at least an hour before the rest of my family. This has proven to be very productive! Because I am now getting up that much earlier, I quickly learned I need to go to bed that much sooner the night before. 

This is harder than I thought it would be.

If I am to get up at 6 a.m. and feel my best all day long, I need to go to bed at 10 p.m. I've submitted to the fact that there is no way this can happen on a regular basis. After the kids are in bed at 8 p.m., I need to clean up the kitchen, get some things ready for the next day, answer emails and enjoy some time on the couch with my husband. So, I set my goal for 10:30 p.m. I haven't always made it, but I feel like part of the battle is just being aware of the time and my body. 

When I am in bed by 10:30 p.m., that 6 a.m. alarm is easy to answer and my days are great! When it gets much past 11 p.m. (dare I say 11:30!), I am a mess by mid-morning the next day. I have bags under my eyes, feel bloated most of the day and make terrible food choices. It is a vicious cycle.

What have a learned? 8 hours is my ideal amount of sleep for health and productivity. I can manage with 7 but, that missing hour starts to add up! When I don't get enough, everything else suffers. I have a harder time being productive, I have less patience for the kids and I make terrible food choices. I learned it is worth the effort to get all of the sleep I can.

What did you learn?