Every night we lay our head down on the pillow and hope for sweet dreams. Sometimes we get lucky and actually fall asleep. Sometimes we get lucky and actually have sweet dreams.
But sleep is not a guaranteed commodity.
Sometimes it can be as elusive as the money we desperately need in order to make ends meet.
I know for me, I have on more than one occasion wished for a switch, like a computer where I can just turn myself off. I’m tired. I want to sleep. But sometimes I just can’t.
Ever had this feeling?
I think it’s a pretty common problem. Although I know some people, usually men, who could sleep anywhere (cue eye roll.)
But . . . even with almost complete certainty that you CAN and WILL fall asleep. Some people still don’t get this absolutely vital component of life.
And horrible things happen.
The importance of sleep is often overlooked. We think, “Oh, I’ll just sleep tomorrow, I can catch up on it later.” “I have a deadline, I have to pull an all-nighter.”
But what happens when this happens too often and for too long?
Did you know that it can actually change your brain chemicals? Did you know that it can lead to a psychotic break?
I didn’t. Until that’s exactly what happened to my husband.
My husband seemed fine. Just tired. Until the day he didn’t.
It was shortly after his mother passed away, a huge loss that in itself would cause a great deal of stress. Unfortunately, we had already been going through many other stresses, including financial strain from clients who were not paying.
Tripled with business and money worries, his sick mother and trying to get another business off and running, my husband was only sleeping for a couple of hours per night.
Ignoring my urges that he needed more, he went on this way for months.
After his mother passed I saw a change in him that at first, I took to be grief.
But it wasn’t just grief. It was a breakdown, with the primary cause being stress and lack of sleep. He was diagnosed with bipolar and schizoaffective disorder, which basically means he was manic and delusional.
He was no longer the man I knew. And I was told he likely never would be again.
It was a huge blow. It was a huge loss. It took me many years to learn how to cope with it and learn how to grieve someone who was still physically sitting in front of me. No one around me could understand.
It isolated me and made me feel lost and completely alone.
But I wasn’t alone. I have two children to raise. Two children who went through this huge loss too. So I figured out how to handle it, how to navigate an unknown world and one of the biggest lessons I took from the loss was how important sleep is.
My children now know. And they will never forget.
I’m sure you have felt drowsy, exhausted and simply done from time to time. But we usually rally with a catch-up night, right?
Apparently though, one cannot catch up on sleep. It’s cumulative and too many all-nighters can be far more detrimental than once thought.
We know we need good food, water, exercise and sleep to be healthy and in balance. So why do we skimp on the most essential things?
You wouldn’t completely starve yourself or allow yourself to dehydrate, right?
At least I hope not. And yet, sleep is usually the one thing we don’t take seriously.
We start getting an average of 4-5 hours per night and think that it is enough. Or that’s the best we can do.
But I urge you to take it more seriously. After seeing first hand what happens to the brain without it. I urge you.
A psychotic break ain’t pretty. And unfortunately, it isn’t even temporary.
My ex-husband’s brain has been forever altered. He is no longer the person I’ve always known.
He can function okay. For the most part. But he isn’t himself. And the biggest catalyst was lack of sleep.
So the next time you wake up tired and barely making it through your day, I want you to remember to take care of you. You are the only one who is going to. It is up to you to make sure you are getting adequate sleep and that sleep becomes a priority.
In my opinion, it should take precedence over just about everything. It should come first. You are not at your best without it. You’re denying the world of your truest self. Your truest gifts.
When you get enough sleep you feel like you can conquer the world.
When you don’t, you look and feel like a zombie. Your brain can barely complete tasks, you can barely complete your sentences.
When you get enough sleep you smile. You brighten everyone’s life. You make a difference. A positive difference.
When you don’t, you are grumpy. You frown. You have a dark cloud hovering over you that rains on the people around you.
But it goes beyond just a bad mood. When you skimp on sleep far too often, you start to change completely. Your dynamics, your core, are no longer you.
Which kind of YOU do you want to bring to the world?
If you struggle with insomnia or depression please leave a comment below or feel free to reach out to me so we can figure out how to get you the good night sleep you deserve and need.
Your friend,
Kat
Nurturingyourbody.com
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