Yesterday was H.A.R.D. but I made it through! Glory to God! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!
Sleep is so important when embarking on this type of journey. So I have decided that I am going to incorporate it into my daily regime. This is big deal for me because I never get enough sleep. I’d often skimp on sleep in order to portray being the superwoman that I am not! In doing some research on sleep I found the following article from The Harvard Women’s Health Watch suggesting six reasons to get enough sleep:
1. Learning and memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. In studies, people who’d slept after learning a task did better on tests later.
2. Metabolism and weight: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.
3. Safety: Sleep debt contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.
4. Mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.
5. Cardiovascular health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
6. Disease: Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.
After reading this it confirmed what I already knew… Sleep is too important for me to shortchange! There is power in SLEEP! I use to try to sleep as little as possible in order to fulfill the tasks that I had that ultimately outweighed my time. I now understand that just as exercise and nutrition are essential for optimal health and happiness, so is sleep. The quality of your sleep directly affects the quality of your waking life, including your mental sharpness, productivity, emotional balance, creativity, physical vitality, and even your weight. No other activity delivers so many benefits with so little effort! I am taking it! It is one the easiest things that I have to do on this 30 day journey!
Today I am making sleep a priority! Tonight I will make a conscious effort to pay off my sleep debt once and for all!
It is my hope that sharing this will be useful to someone, somewhere who desires change… Be blessed and follow me on this journey!
For the Mind: You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. C. S. Lewis
For the Body: Drink 8 bottles of water. Walk 5 miles. Don’t eat after 6. Sleep at least 7.5 hours.
For the Spirit: When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet {Proverbs 3:24}.
Until Next Time, M'Shonta
No comments:
Post a Comment