Who Needs Sleep?

by Jeff Ludlum | Sunday, March 27th 2011

Who needs sleep? One way or another, we all do!

When I was seventeen I considered going into the US Navy after high school to help pay for college. As part of the application process for the scholarship, I had to take a medical exam at the naval base near my house. I still remember walking into the waiting room of the facility and seeing a sign on the wall with recommended “Keys to Good Health.” According to the placard, one of the keys was “Get 7-8 hours of sleep each night.”

I didn’t end up joining the Navy, but that simple phrase about recommended hours for sleep stayed with me and was for a long time a cornerstone idea about just how much sleep I thought I needed to be healthy. Over the past twenty-five years I’ve adjusted, modified, and expanded my attitude about sleep (and rest) with some good results — you can too!

Of course, there are many factors that influence the amount and quality of sleep we get. Age, lifestyle, work demands, and home life, to name a few, all have a role in determining our daily (nightly) sleep experience.

One of the fundamentals to my approach to sleep centers on my attitude and flexibility toward getting the rest I need on a regular basis. Expanding my mindset to include various options of what I can accept as sufficient sleep has helped tremendously. I think that began in college, where late nights and early mornings were the norm. I’d catch a nap a few times a week — anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour and a half or so — and that would give me the supplemental rest I needed. It began with a better attitude which improved how I coped with getting less than the “7-8 hours of sleep” I thought I needed at night in one stretch.

With a newborn at home now, the nap strategy has again come in handy. Getting up for the middle-of-night feedings has certainly required an adjustment to established sleep patterns and schedule. Iperiodically catch a quick fifteen minute nap (usually in the car) during my lunch break to re-charge my batteries for the workday afternoon.

Another key factor is realizing that we all have different sleep needs. In fact, our own sleep needs fluctuate, depending on any number of factors concerning our current activities, stress levels, overall health, etc.

Adjusting one’s priorities to get more sleep than “usual” when needed is important to maintaining (or regaining) good health. If you’re sick or otherwise rundown, it’s a good idea to make sleep a higher priority. One or two nights of 10-12 hours in the sack can make a world of difference in these situations, and help you get healthy and regain your normal energy level.

That word mentioned earlier — “rest” — is also pivotal. Another adjustment of attitude that helps in the long run is realizing (and accepting) that rest is a close cousin to sleep, and it can help you rejuvenate and have the energy you need to get you through the day.

Beyond simply counting the hours of sleep you get, allowing yourself to slow down and take some time to simply rest your body can make a difference too. What’s perhaps the simplest manifestation of this practice? Couch Time.

Affording yourself the time on a weekend afternoon to recline, read a book or magazine, listen to a podcast (or music!) catch a show you TiVo-ed, etc., will make a world of difference to your energy level. You’ll likely realize some mental health benefit too. Indeed, when the stress level is high, a good way to counterbalance is to carve out a bit of time to relax and rest. Even a ten minute pause (better still, nap!) will allow your body and mind to refresh and cope with more energy. And even if you’re not stressed, with our busy lives, making a little time for yourself on the sofa when you’re feeling tired is a good idea.

Yep, all told it’s clear: we all need sufficient rest to stay healthy and happy. There are plenty of different approaches. In the end it’s up to each of us to create a sleep strategy that works. Sweet Dreams!

For more information about sleep, rest, and your health, check these resources out:
http://www.sleepfoundation.org/
http://www.naturalnews.com/016768.html
http://www.oprah.com/oprahradio/The-Value-of-Sleep
http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~wilkins/writing/Resources/essays/nap_refreshs.html
http://www.talkaboutsleep.com/sleep-disorders/archives/insomnia_drjacobs_benefits_of_naps.htm