There are a lot of observances that stake claim to the month April. We're going to go with National Minority Health Month. Why? Because health is important and that's what our next "series" will focus on. We won't get too deep into health issues that specifically face minorities, but will touch on sleep, stress, and how those can affect you both positively and negatively. Whether that's at work, home, school, in ministry, etc.
Without further adieu..."whoomp there it is..." #hitMe
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Let's see if we really can truly make this quick and painless.
First up: SLEEP
We all know sleep is important (or do we), yet for some reason in our culture today (i.e. Primarily the United States), we tend to skimp on sleep, exercise, and many healthy habits in lieu of achieving something more tangible. In many cases it's some form of success. In other instances it may be because we don't have a choice and we're doing what we can to maintain, to survive.
Back in the Fall of 2011 I introduced some problems that I was having because of my seeking God and lack of attention to my health. In "You Don't Want My Life", we discussed passion and how that passion can lead us to act in a certain way and as equally important do certain things (e.g. Miss out on sleep). Then there was part 2, detailing how even in the midst of "my passion", it was only by the grace of God that I was able to function at all (let alone still be alive). Some of the entries that came after these further addressed what was going on and why. Now let's take a practical look at this issue of getting sleep.
For some folks not getting a good night's sleep is a result of chasing success. Wanting to be successful isn't always problematic if you're making sure that you understand your limits and when you should stop and take a breather. Check out this video, "Secrets to success pt1" featuring Eric the Hip-hop Preacher.
You can stop at the 3:30 mark (all of it is good).
I've gone days (at least 2.5 months) of not getting proper sleep, but it was so obvious that I wasn't making the best of choices. In fact, had my summer internship been more demanding on me mentally, I would not have had the capacity to do well (or perhaps through some supernatural source of power, I may have). Eric's talk is targeted to those who are younger in their life journey, yet this is something that we can all apply to our lives. He goes on to talk about many more things, check them out here.
Beyond success or some goal, why do people not get a good night's sleep? Maybe they're stressed (entry for next week), can't sleep or...who knows. If you are able to make sure you get your recommended 8+ hours every night, then you should do that. There have been studies that suggest some people are able to get by with less. Jury is out on whether or not that's the case for me. The point of all of this is to encourage you to make sure that you get some sleep and while you're at it "sleep well". There are many habits that we can form which will allow us to operate at a point of maximum efficiency, plus...I hate it when I have to drag through the day because I'm tired, weary, sleepy, etc.
Better sleep keeps your memory sharp, reduces your blood pressure (when combined with other methods), and makes you more attractive (no more bags! No more, but maybe no less?) Your body was built in need of proper sleep and rest. If your body doesn't get enough of the deep sleep (i.e. REM), it's not able to reset. Sometimes we are in situations, as I mentioned earlier, where we have to do what we have to do...even if success is just doing better for ourselves such as the young man in the story here.
One of my church members noticed during Fall of 2011 that I was looking somewhat sickly. I felt sick and indeed I was, given everything that had happened over the previous summer.
“You look like a man who’s working too hard.
All of this hard work doesn’t mean anything if you get sick.”
(i.e. Renders you useless, or less useful)
I couldn't agree more.
Get a good night's sleep. You'll be glad you did!
Sumthn2Ponder (s2p):
- How much sleep do I actually get?
- Do I miss out on sleep because of unhealthy habits? (e.g. Late night convos, television..late night- anything)
- What will I do to show more responsibility in getting good sleep?
Links for Consideration(L4C):
- Race and Sleep
- Power of Naps
- Kids hit the Snooze!
- Studies show that Teens need more sleep than adults; probably needed for growth
- Elderly folks tend to sleep less as they age even though they may nap during the day
- Manly way to sleep
- 5 Myths of Sleep
- Have a sleep problem?
In case you need it
