Sleep-So Simple Yet So Complicated

How Well Do You Sleep? Some Helpful Hints

Sleep. So Necessary. So Many Benefits. Essential. Normally so simple. Why them, can it be so complicated?

How Long Do You Sleep?

As humans we spend approximately one third of are lives sleeping. Have you ever stopped to think about this? Eight hours of sleep per night. Every night for say 80 years. We would have the equivalent of approximately an extra 26 years of time! Just think of what we could accomplish! Even if we had just a small percentage of these hours available.

Sometimes I do my best thinking at night. For some reason I will wake up during the night with a solution to a problem. It’s like my brain processes at night to come up with alternative ideas and solutions. A super computer at work. No electricity required. Then you awake with the answer. Perhaps I could mine bitcoin overnight.

As a matter of fact, when I woke up during the night last night, I got the idea for this story. When I woke up, I was thinking of how quiet and peaceful the nighttime is. No cars going by. The birds are quiet, unless I am lucky enough to hear the occasional owl. Or sometimes the coyotes howl. But mostly it is quiet. Everyone is sleeping. Well not everyone.

It’s amazing how fast 8 hours pass. Seems like a few minutes sometimes. Perhaps I should write during the night. There would be a lot less distractions. New ideas would flood into my brain. Or maybe i would just end up tired.

Sleep seems like a simple process, yet once asleep it is not. Thankfully, at that point, our brains take over. The software kicks in, running through the various phases of sleep throughout the night. Dreams develop. Information is sorted and stored for later use. Excess clutter is deleted. Upon waking, defrag is complete

How Can Something So Simple Be So Hard?

Now that I am retired, I am finding sleep much easier. Perhaps I have unlocked the secret to good sleep. In my younger years it was a huge struggle. I had a stressful job, and my boss was overbearing. Overall I slept fairly well, but often enough I would have those sleepless nights, tossing and turning. Usually the night before a big happening at work. Watching the clock and calculating how much sleep I could still get to salvage the night. Most times I would fall asleep just before the alarm went off. So frustrating!

Theses days I sleep well probably 99% of the time. Being retired, not only has my stress levels declined, I have more time for my hobbies. Many of my hobbies involve physical activity, which is another key factor to good sleep.

Getting good sleep is really simple. Decrease stress, increase physical activity. But when you are working full time, raising a family, it becomes a struggle.

So What Can You Do?

My suggestions are simple, but not always easy to implement.

Make Time For Yourself

As hard as it may be, this is essential. When I was still working, I would head to my garden when I came home. My wife usually took a nap since her job as an elementary school art teacher was physically demanding. She was on her feet all day. So a nap for was what worked for her. For me, since my job was mostly sitting and very mentally challenging, I craved physical activity which helped me to decompress mentally also. Gardening is just the opposite; physically demanding, but mentally relaxing.

Of course, if you have young children, you must divide and conquer. Take turns watching them to allow your partner some much needed free time, and vice versa.

Get Physical

As I stated above, if you sit all day, and/or have a mentally challenging job, you must get physical. Go for a short bike ride or walk. Get outside. Work in your garden. For me, this was huge during my working years. Even after the most exhausting day mentally, I immedicably started to feel better as I got outside and began physical activity. You will feel the stress leaving your body. It is a natural “drug” to sooth the body an mind. You will feel better and sleep better. Trust me.

Disconnect From Media

I am as guilty as anyone when it comes to media overload. The TV is on. I’m surfing on my laptop. I’m checking my phone. Sound familiar? This is fine, but at some point before attempting to go to sleep, you must stop. Just stop. I know, this is hard for me also. But is does work. Perhaps turn off the computer, put away the phone, and just watch TV. A good movie, a sitcom. Or read a good book. For me writing also works well, it is relaxing. Anything to divert the mind from the stress of the day.

I hope you found this story interesting and helpful. I know from experience how difficult getting good sleep can be. And I also know that the above pointers are helpful.

Here’s to a good night’s sleep.