Second Way To Draw Closer To God

Great Reasons to Get More Sleep!

Before Edison invented the light-bulb, Americans slept about ten hours a night.  In the age of the iPod we’re getting, on an average, less than seven hours of sack time!  Something is wrong with this picture…or… maybe it’s my alarm clock that’s the real problem.  My alarm clock, my cell phone, my computer, my home phone, my Blackberry, AND my iPod- sometimes I can’t help but think that Edison had it better in the pre-light-bulb days, and he should have left well enough alone…

Did you know that seventy million Americans suffer from sleep deprivation?  That’s a lot of people waking up on the wrong side of the bed every morning!  According to the official website for the National Sleeping Foundation, www.sleepfoundation.org , we’re a tired, cranky nation that needs a nap!  Forty million people in the U.S. are affected by chronic sleep disorders.  On top of that, according to a Sleep in America poll, nearly seven out of ten Americans surveyed reported frequent sleeping problems.   That’s almost seventy percent of our population- Americans just aren’t getting enough shut-eye!  Check out their website for more sleep facts, statistics, and resources.  Here are a couple of great pages I found on their site!

For more facts and statistics about sleep:

To check out some of their polls on sleep, including surveys that focus on sleep issues for children, adults, teens, and seniors, follow this link!

Here is a link to a press release about the National Sleep Foundation’s 2009 Sleep in America poll.

What’s keeping us up at night?  According to this website, sixty-five percent of Americans are losing sleep due to stress, and sixteen percent experience stress-related insomnia!

Even scarier than that is the way we’re coping!  We over-use caffeine and energy drinks in order to stay awake and alert all day, because we didn’t sleep well last night.  And when we come home from a hard day at work, we relax and unwind with a drink, or pop a couple of sleeping pills in order to doze off!  That’s just sick!  One of the main ways insomniacs self-medicate is through drinking.   The article, “Five Sleep Myths Busted!” states that more people use alcohol as a sleep aid than prescription sleeping pills!   It’s a common myth that a couple of drinks will help you relax and get a good night’s sleep after a tough day at the office.  Is that martini really helping you catch some zzzs?  Or… is sleep deprivation plus overindulgence in alcohol merely a recipe for a wicked hangover?  Find out the answer, and discover more about the myths surrounding sleep by following this link!

Maybe you’re saying, “What’s the big deal about getting more sleep?  Edison only slept four hours a night, and he was a genius!” That might be true- and I’m certainly not belittling his work as an inventor.  But I sometimes wonder how much more he would have accomplished if he’d slept eight hours a night instead of only four.  Sounds a little crazy, doesn’t it?  A little backwards?  Are you wondering, “How could anyone get MORE accomplished if they slept a few extra hours a night?” About ten percent of us are hardwired  to need  less sleep than the recommended 7-8 hours per night- I guess Thomas Edison was one of the lucky ones-but ninety percent of us still need at least seven hours each night in order to function well.

Studies done by the National Sleep Foundation revealed that and sleep disorders are estimated to cost Americans over $100 billion annually – that includes costs generated by lost productivity, medical expenses, sick leave, and property and environmental damage.  We’re paying a hefty price for not getting enough shut-eye.  And without sufficient sleep and a well-rested body, you can’t function well…and you certainly can’t expect to connect with your spiritual side, or receive a divine message for your life’s path, if you can hardly stay awake through a business meeting! Lack of sleep is proven to cause stress, worry and anxiety.  How can we live out God’s plan for us if we are dealing with those issues?

Conclusion…Tune in next week for a fabulous guest blog by Molly Childers.  She’s a writer, artist, and expert napper , who will be featured here Monday with a piece about how to have more fun in bed!   She works as a writing and creativity consultant in Durango, Colorado, and has helped me out a lot.  Her writing and artwork is featured online regularly at www.creativity-portal.com , and she’s published her letters, poetry and articles in Southwest Colorado Arts Perspective, The Durango Telegraph, The Durango Herald, The Four Corners Business Journal, The Durango Guardian, On the Wings of Poetry, Images and Eternal Portraits to name a few.  You can visit her blog at: http://www.stealingplums.blogspot.com.  For more information on her consulting services, or to connect with her regarding her freelance writing, handmade creative journals, or artwork, please contact Ms. Childers directly:

Molly Childers

P.O. Box 4281

Durango, CO 81302-4281

Phone: (970) 759-9993

Email: stealingplums@yahoo.com