Day 138: Sleep

"Sleep is important for concentration, memory formation and the repair of damage to your body’s cells during the day. Chronic lack of sleep increases the risk for developing obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and infections."

As I get older, I realize I need more sleep. My ideal amount of sleep is nine hours a night. On a work night, I usually get 5-6 hours of sleep. On Sundays, or on a day off, I would finally catch up on my nine hours of sleep. Waking up after nine hours I feel very refreshed and ready to conquer the day. A few years ago I tried to go to sleep early to get my maximum amount of sleep per night. That didn't last very long. I always think that sleeping at 10-11pm is too early. But I should be sleeping at that time to get my optimum amount of sleep.

If I get less than 5 hours of sleep a night, I feel like a zombie. I am dragging my body around. My brain is in 'half asleep' mode. When customers talk to me, I am at 50% (or less) concentration level. If I get 5 hours of sleep or less a night for about 3 or 4 nights in a row, I start to feel sick. My body aches and starts to feel weak and I may get the sniffles.

There are many distractions that keep me up. The TV and internet are the biggest culprits. If there is a show that is on that is interesting I'm going to watch that first, then write on my blog then go to bed. By the time the show ends, it's 11:30pm (or later). I sometimes go out with friends and don't get home till late. Depending on how late it is, I write on my blog. If I'm out too late at a party, then I won't be writing on my blog. If my blog doesn't make sense or is full of grammatical errors, its because I'm writing it late at night and my brain isn't functioning properly.

Years ago, when I was young and spunky, I had lots on the go and didn't get enough sleep. I was going to school and work. I was going out late / staying up late. At one point I was helping my friend dog sit for a month. During that month, I didn't get very much sleep. I went to sleep at about 2 am. I had to wake up at about 6 am to walk the dog. When I went out to places with a couch or when I have to sit for a long time, all I can think about is sleeping.