I think itās pretty fitting that when I started writing this, my sleep debt stood at 16 hours and 41 minutes. Thatās the amount of time that Iād need to sleep, non-stop, in order to be fully rested. Itās been a struggle for me for the last 7 years or so, and most attempts to fix the problem have been pretty ineffective.
The situation looks something like this:
We need sleep to function, and getting the proper amount is probably the single most important thing we can do to stay at the top of our game. It affects literally everything: mood, concentration, digestion, the immune system, vision, creativity, motivationā¦ Ā I could go on, but I think you get it.
Despite all the clear benefits of getting a good nightās sleep, itās still extremely tempting toĀ burn the midnight oil, sometimes even beyond midnight!Ā The short-term gains seemĀ much more tangible than the vague idea of ābeing in better shapeā the next day. To make matters worse, when you stay up later, you still become more tired.Ā If you do the math, when someone who needs 8 hours of sleep goes to bed an hour later, they actually need to sleep an extra half hour to make up for it. It can quickly snowball.
Iām kind of fed up with being tired all the time.
Iāve been able to keep my sleep in check for a week or so, but if I have a lot of energy by 10-11pm on a weeknight, I just keep coding and the cycle repeats itself.
For science, and my own wellbeing, letāsĀ try something new.
Starting Monday, Iām going to post a daily sleep journal on this blog. Nothing fancy, just a few lines a day grouped into one post, butĀ I feel like making a commitment here, on a blog Iām trying to nurture and build up, is going to give me the motivationĀ I need.
Iām going to commit to keeping a very low sleep debt (under 2 hours) for at least 3 weeks. This way I can prove to myself with hard data that being well restedĀ actually makes a big difference in my life. I want to makeĀ the long term benefits of sleep seem more tangible.
If any of you want to join me in thisĀ brave endeavour, feel free to make your own commitments towards sleep, and try to stick to it for a full 21 days (the time it takes to form a habit.) Be aggressive about it if you have to, and use all the strategies at your disposal to help you succeed.
Lets hope this works, and see you next week!SUBSCRIBE TO GET THESE BLOG POSTS SENT TO YOUR INBOX!WHICH YOU CAN OPEN IN YOUR BED!š