One of the first things I thought about when I decided I wanted to take back being awesome, was Miss M. She is five now. And what a fun age to be! She is the delight of her parents (but aren't all kids?). What is it that enables her to wake up full of energy and ready to tackle the world?
My guess is one of the biggest factors is sleep. Her dad and I are very strict about her sleep habits. We have a bed time ritual-- get into pjs, brush teeth and wash face, read a few books and prayer. We aim to have her in bed, with lights out, by 7 --- 7:30pm at the latest during the school year. (Summers are a little more flexible as we can sleep in, and I agree with her that it is oh so hard to go to sleep when the sun is still out.) We then wake her up around 7:15am to get ready for school.
She gets nearly 12 hours of sleep each night. No wonder she is rejuvinated and full of energy.
It got me thinking about my sleep habits. Do I have a ritual? Do I stick to it? I do brush my teeth and wash my face. Sometimes I shower at night, but then, sometimes in the morning. I read some nights. And how many hours do I get? I wake up around 6:30ish.....yet I go to bed around 10 or 11 and once in a while later if there is a good movie on.
I can tell when Miss M. doesn't get her full night's sleep. Some times during the next day, I will say, "Sounds like some one is tired," or " Sounds like someone needs to go to bed early tonight." And I get an immediate hot debate, "I'M NOT TIRED!" Sound familiar?
If a good night's ritual works for a five-year-old, why not for me? And if 12 hours works for Miss M, would a good 8 hours work for me?
Surprisingly, YES!
Studies show that people who a get a good night's sleep: have healthier hearts, deal with stress better, one os more alert (duh!), have better memories and have a reduction in risk for depression.
Since school started this fall, I have started to get ready for bed around 9:30 so I can get everything done and have the lights out by 10. I have always needed extra sleep, so 8-1/2 hours of sleep words well for me.
And it is true, I do have more energy, I seem calmer, happier and life is overall better when Mama has a good night's sleep.
And that my friend, is
Great post! I read that kids 3-6 yrs old need 10-12 hours; 7-12 yr olds need 10-11 hours; and 12-18 yrs old need only 8-9 hours. Savannah is up at 6a and Haylie is up at 7a. Its nice because I don't even need to get Haylie up until Savannah has gotten on the bus. We are all in bed at 9:00 so it looks like we fall into all the correct parameters. :-)
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