Sleep Debt
Hi fellow Hiveians,
Today I wanted to talk a bit about the importance of sleep but also of getting the flexibility to write and sleep!
Sleep Debt
As most people are living in 2024, many of the people in "Western" countries may not fully realize that we are living in a perpetual state of debt to not only banks, but to our own self in terms of sleep!
I've been trying to get better at repaying my sleep debt. It's not been easy, because there are a bunch of things that I have to do in a day to day that I don't get to otherwise. I tend to use the night hours to do these types of things and it's great except when things don't go as planned and I end up losing a bunch of sleep, on top of the sleep that I'm already sacrificing lol. It's a vicious cycle!
We've had quite a bit of sickness run through our house. Hopefully we are on the tail end of it all, and we are starting the new year off on the correct foot and with less crap. It's been going around quite a bit though, almost every person I talk to has some kind of affliction and that's perfectly acceptable! We need to remember that our bodies and immune systems need to have contact and social situations for us to share germs and become stronger as a community. Isolation is overall really bad for us, but the effects of that aren't going to be felt for quite a while. I know we've been released from the illegal lock downs for a while now but I think the first winter we got really wild and did all kinds of stuff. This winter, I think is more on the normal cycle and I think that's why we are all getting sick left and right. We've had a couple years of debt in that regard as well to catch up on!
With the sickness seeming to finally abate itself, one of the things that has been really kicking me is the amount of sleep that I was losing taking care of the little man, and then eventually me not getting the sleep because I was sick. I got really jacked up haha but I've been trying to get to sleep early most nights lately. This tends to creep up on me every few months I think, where I go to bed late for a while, 1030 or 11pm every night for 2-3 months or more and then I fall off the wagon a but and am exhausted so I end up going to bed at like 8pm for 1 or 2 weeks for a while lol. It's an interesting and comical situation that I've noticed.
The main reason I am noticing this is because I enjoy writing! I write mostly at night. I was able to do it a little bit in the morning for a week or two but it wasn't as productive or fruitful as my night writing so I've shifted back to it. I rather enjoy it, because I get to catalog my thoughts from the day and get them out onto the virtual notepad here and see what is going on.
This has given me quite a different perspective on a lot of things and I rather enjoy it. The challenge though is when I get stricken with feeling under the weather and then it messes all kinds of things up. My body feels tired, my mind feels sluggish and I end up just overall in a tough spot hahaha. We need to exercise our mental faculties as much as we do our physical ones! I know that I've got some physical goals to attain to, but those are going to be held off a little bit while I catch up on some sleep and catch up on some writing as well. For a few weeks I was doing great and getting things put out, cataloged and organized into a series of posts. Lately I feel like I'm struggling to get one post extra out so that I stay ahead.
I spent a few days catching up on some decent sleep the last few, so I'm hoping to get a couple things written and scheduled up so that I can fend off not only the sickness for a while but also I can keep flexing these mind muscles as well!
-CmplXty. Real human written content, never AI.
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It is wise that we don't cheat nature by denying ourselves sleep at times. It will tell on us soon
Yea that's for sure! Nature does have a tendency to kick us in the butt sometimes!
I usually fall sick anytime I don’t get enough sleep. Nature must not be cheated because it will tell on us later
Thanks for reminding us to always sleep well
Indeed we have to make sure to get fair amounts of sleep otherwise we are in trouble!
What you say touches me particularly deeply. Not least because I feel particularly concerned.
Sleep debt accumulates gradually, often without us realizing it. Every night of insufficient sleep adds to this debt, leading to chronic fatigue from which it is very difficult to recover.
It would be great if there were apps that could tell us where we are in terms of this debt.
You can tell because excessive daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, and irritability can be signs of a significant sleep debt. But you have to know what it is, otherwise you just take it for a "bad time" and do nothing about it.
Especially since sleep deprivation can have negative consequences on physical and mental health. This includes increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, depression and a weakened immune system. Sleep debt can seriously impair cognitive functions, reducing concentration, memory, decision-making and problem-solving.
I believe that sleep is an essential pillar of overall well-being, on a par with diet and exercise, and should be treated with equal importance.
Indeed sleep has been proven to be quite important for overall health and well being. It's important for so many things! I'm glad that you're realizing it and trying to make some strides to getting it sorted out for yourself. We can only benefit by doing that!
The challenge is that sleep is so easy to cut back on - we sacrifice it all the time but eventually it does catch up with us.
Last week I must already have had a large sleep debt, but this weekend I had a few birthdays to celebrate, which added to my sleep debt.
So I'm going to have to be very careful this week and even the next few weeks!
It’s all about balance! We balance the debt with how we repay it.
I like that phrase because that's exactly what it is.
I relate to this, and I have been paying off my debts. I'm a night owl, and most productive in the wee hours of the morning when the world is asleep. However, for the last month, I've made sleep my priority and have been focusing on my well-being.
I trust that you and your family will be back to optimal health soon:)))
Thanks Milly! I don't remember what it was but I thought of you and the diver hubby the other day! Lol I wish I remember the context but it was likely a dejavu type thing.
Indeed paying off that sleep debt is important! We all take advantage of our health and bodies in various ways and sleep is often sacrificed for other things but sadly we have to make sure to pay back the debt otherwise we invite other challenges in.
Hopefully you can find a happy medium with staying up a little later but also getting good sleep!
We must pay attention to our health. We should have time when we take quality rest and quality sleep
Indeed we have to keep an eye on our health and one of those primary things is catching up on sleep!
Every time the sun comes out like this after a snowfall, the view is extra special.