Strength doesn’t lie in numbers, strength doesn’t lie in wealth, strength lies in nights of peaceful slumbers so when you wake up, WAKE UP!
-Maria von Trapp, The Sound of Music
As a blogger, author, editor, ecofashion stylist and all-around creative person, I fit the late-riser stereotype. I find it almost impossible to get out of bed before 9am (usually not until 10), because, simply, the kind of thinking needed for the work I do never happens before noon. So what’s the use in being up?
But there is another reason for late slumbering. It’s because I aim to get around nine hours of sleep a night. Which seems to be an extremely shocking thing among almost everyone I’m even vaguely acquainted with when I mention it (the greatest shock always comes from my Manhattan-based friends and colleagues, unsurprisingly).
Considering that I’m known as a super-productive person, anyone who knows me realizes that my sleep schedule has nothing to do with laziness. Instead people are usually overtly envious, covertly jealous, disbelieving, or worst, think I’m terribly overindulgent. The ‘recommended’ 7-8 hours is, frankly, just not enough sleep for me. I’ve always slept a lot, and prefer a solid 9 hours (10-11 on weekends). Every body is different, of course- some people only NEED 5-6 hours a night, and bully for them. But for the rest of us, regular good rest comes infrequently, and not at all, and is, indeed, a badge of honor.
When the hell did it become a luxury to get a good night’s rest regularly? When I sleep my average of 60 hours a week, I am much more productive, have fewer mood swings (or at least am much less grumpy), catch fewer colds, AND use less energy. More time in bed, with house temps low, not using the computer, lights and phone mean energy savings- so sleeping in is green! Imagine all the energy we would save if Americans stayed in bed 30 minutes or an hour longer every day.
And even while most people would agree with the idea that we should all get more sleep, the idea that it’s generally healthier to get a good night’s rest is dismissed as some kind of old-fashioned idea.
I say, bring back Beauty Sleep! There is a strong, science-suppported connection between good skin and being well-rested. Good rest allows skin to repair itself naturally, rather than spending money and energy on Botox or plastic surgery. (Yes, I do have fewer wrinkles than most of my contemporaries, so there). And if you use fancy night creams, they only work when you’re getting proper rest, so don’t waste them by slapping them on and then sitting in front of the TV all night.
So how do I do it? I’m committed to sleeping (doesn’t hurt that I really enjoy it; some people don’t, which I’ve never understood), and cultivate my dreaming states. I keep a toxin-free, quiet bedroom free of electronics, and only sleep or read in bed- no email, no chatting on the phone, no eating! My bed and bedding is made of organic, natural materials (I prefer feather pillow and down comforters, organic cotton sheets and wool throws, but I’m not allergic to any of these materials, which might not work for everyone). I keep my bedroom very cool in the winter (about 55-58 degrees), air out the room at least once every two days (a fresh air flush every day is ideal) and keep the only air purifier I’ve invested in there.
Friends and family know better than to wake me early unless it’s an emergency. I don’t have kids, which obviously helps a lot- but I’ve also noticed many of my friends keeping their munchkins up much, much later than I was ever allowed, which is not going to cultivate good sleeping habits for them in the future AND cuts into parental sleeping (and nookie) time.
I was raised by my old-school rules grandma, which meant I was in bed by 7:30 each night, whether there was light in the sky or not, until I was about 8 years old. She then had the rest of the evening to herself and my grandpa, and I cemented great sleeping habits when I was very young.
Sleep is the foundation of each and every day, a secret to basic and sustained health, to recovering from the aging affects of life, to figuring out your psychological demons (our brains don’t sleep the way our bodies do, and REM sleep is the time when solutions to problems- personal, emotional, work-related, are figured out). Best yet? We get all these benefits for FREE! Sleeping doesn’t cost a darn thing, so stop reading Internet stories all night and get some rest.
O gracious! I couldn’t agree more. I (ideally) would get 9-10 (11-12 on weekends) of sleep a night. Unfortunately I fall into the “not enough” category. However, I am fortunate enough to get, normally, 7 hours which is more than enough to function on and I’ll catch up when I can. As much as I love cuddling with my boyfriend I love waking up (after he’s gone to work) and having the whole bed to myself and just engulfing myself in the covers and cuddling with the dog.
Does anyone else have the problem that if they don’t get enough sleep (say I go to be reallly late) that you just can’t wake up no matter how many alarms you set? If my body isn’t somewhat ready do get up there is NO rising me. Anyone else?
12/09/08 » 11:21 am »
Me three. I am very protective over my sleep! When I don’t get enough, I have a really hard time writing anything that makes sense the next day. And since I write soooo much every day, I can’t have that.
Gah, I wish I could sleep with a down comforter – my husband is extremely allergic.
12/09/08 » 3:03 pm »
Samantha, I often find it very difficult to wake up, especially when I am sleep deprived, which is often. I used 3 alarms spread throughout the room in college and I still missed quite a few classes. My ideal sked would be sleep from 3 am – noon, though I don’t often get to do that.
12/09/08 » 3:17 pm »
I find that no matter how early I go to sleep the night before, I still have to wake up at a certain time the next day, which is usually at around 12. That means if I go to sleep even as early as 11, I still feel a need to sleep until noon. So it’s not really how long I sleep for – it’s what time until I sleep.
12/09/08 » 3:36 pm »
I’m with you. I like to get around 9-10 some nights, but always at least 8. I felt awkward about it until I read somewhere that Einstein needed 12. So now I just say that smarter people sleep more
I’m forwarding this to my friends!
12/09/08 » 3:45 pm »
God, how I miss sleep. After having the twins we were up every 2-3 hrs and my husband and I had moments where we thought we might not make it, literally. I have also seen people keep children up late. After struggling to get into a groove for the first few months, once we got into one we stuck to it and I am staunchly committed to my kids’ sleep schedule. We nap daily for two hours, at least, and my 23 month olds are down by 6:45pm at the absolute latest. We need that evening time to decompress and they are so much happier with sleep!
I also know a lot of people who need white noise to sleep now. It was recommended we use it with our kids. We have a fan to circulate air, but it makes me wonder what we all did with crickets and silence? We made it, somehow.
Isn’t it interesting, too, that the most widely some of the most used (and abused) drugs in this country are sleep-aides?
12/09/08 » 5:37 pm »
I blame my mother (in the most loving, appreciative way you can blame someone) As a baby she made sure I got at least 10 hours a night w/ naps in the day. She would first drive me around in the car to get me to sleep…. until she learned sitting me on the dryer does the same thing.
The gentle vibrations are soothing and calming. To this day if I’m in a car longer than 30 minutes (not driving) I’m OUT. One road trip I slept 22 hours straight, just because I could.
I wish I could get more sleep during the week now but it makes me cherish the weekends that much more.
I’ve learned even if I have several alarms I’ll (1/2 asleep still) and then go back to sleep until I’m ready. It’s affected my job so I’m getting better, but it’s tough.
Any suggestions on how to get my butt out of bed on time (even with several alarms already set)??
12/10/08 » 11:46 am »
Sometimesdaily beta » The Controverse 23 - Alternative Health & Wellness
[...] Controverse 23 – Alternative Health & Wellness Flash | QuickTime | iPod | Apple TV 1. Getting your beauty sleep can save you money and energy. 2. Alternative therapies going mainstream. 3. Australian school system outlaws use of “red [...]
12/11/08 » 9:49 am »
Dear Starre,
Thank you for this posting! I agree with you completely. It is neat to read this because I have been saying the exact same to my coworkers and friends. I think sleep is vital and having a cozy, natural bedroom is the best. I need at least 9 hours of sleep. I simply listen to what my body is saying and attempt to get that much rest in order to stay healthy and happy.
All the best to you,
Melissa
12/13/08 » 9:41 am »
Oh how nice to meet other sleepers in this world, however, I wake with the sun, so my body sends those strong sleepy messages to me nice and early…I grew up in a house where the people stayed up so late, and slept in for hours, so I don’t know how it all came about in me, but I pass all of it on to three of my four children. Early to bed and early to rise…who knew we were all just being ‘green’, too?!!! The ‘black sheep’ of my children stays up late…and he’s the one who sneaks the electronics, and its sooooo clear to me that it effects his sleep…cranky and ‘on edge’ when he’s been sneaking!
12/19/08 » 5:25 am »
My whole family is early to bed, early to rise- I wish I could! That’s the way I was raised…. I swear I get happier in the afternoon as soon as the sun starts to set, and 2AM always seems like the right time to climb into bed, my mind is just more active at night!
12/19/08 » 11:59 pm »
Sometimesdaily beta with Amanda Congdon » The Controverse 23 LIVE - Alternative Health and Wellness
[...] 1. Getting your beauty sleep can save you money and energy. 2. Alternative therapies going mainstream. 3. Australian school system decides red markers [...]
01/22/09 » 10:16 pm »