Sleep

Day 14 - 31 Day Challenge
To read this series from the beginning, click HERE

Why is it that if something needs done we give up sleep to get it done? As a mom, I have done this so many times, I lost track trying to find some caffiene to keep me going.  It just seems easier to get stuff done once the house is quiet and everyone else is in bed. I know just how long I can go until I crash.  I know sleep is necessary. It is unsafe and unhealthy to go without sleep for a length of time.  When I am sleep deprived, I can't think straight, I get upset easily over things I would normally laugh at, and my to do list seems longer and so much more important and urgent than it really is.

Since we homeschool, my boys get the brunt of my emotional tired roller coaster.  School becomes a chore for all three of us and nothing is fun. If I get enough sleep, I can usually sneak in a laugh or two even when one of my students is struggling with a tough subject.

Eating well is tougher when the sandman hasn't visited.  I will grab anything close and I give into cravings before I can even think it over.  Sweets call my name, not only for the sugar they contain, but also for the quick pick-me-up they will provide.  With a full night's sleep, I can fight the cravings and think through the choices in my pantry.

While not everyone needs eight hours of sleep (some need more, some need less), fuses are longer, patience is thicker, and smiles are quicker when the night has been spent asleep.  I am working on getting to bed before 11:00pm, so I can get my day started earlier (I am a night owl by birth) so the work is done sooner and playtime can last longer.   If everyone would get a good night's sleep, a lot of the world's problems, wouldn't be problems.

"Sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together." ~Thomas Dekker