Source: @kstonematheson
We are hearing more and more that each of us need 7-8 hours of sleep every night. However, that sleep for many isn't quality sleep.
We hear the importance of sleep in our complete health. Our bodies heal while we are sleeping, from the damage that we do to our bodies (both intentional and unintentional) throughout our waking hours.
Lack of sleep significantly increases the chances of chronic diseases, fatigue, mistakes, emotional and physical challenges, etc.
We each go through stages of sleep and sleep cycles, but what’s crucial is that we have as much uninterrupted sleep as possible.
Too often, people are either not getting enough sleep, or not restful sleep.
During my burnout, I slept 7-8 hours per night, but it wasn’t quality sleep.
Why?
1. I wasn’t eating properly. My diet plan consisted of ordering through a window, and then driving around a corner to pay and get handed a brown bag.
2. I was under an increasing amount of stress with my job. Working for a start-up is not easy, nor are emotionally demanding jobs in healthcare if you are considering nursing or something similar as a career. This one was even more challenging due to the nature of the work, and the lack of boundaries I had in the work I performed.
3. Trying to people please. I was trying to be everything to everyone. Be a pillar in a small community. Make a difference in helping others. I had forgotten to help myself first.
Thus my sleep was spent repairing all the damage I was doing to my body, both mentally and physically. Eventually my body gave in, and kicked off my year of worst-case scenarios.
Now I sleep pretty well. I have a pillow that works for me. The room temperature is conducive to my liking. I have a sleep mask in case it’s too bright outside through the window blinds. I don’t consume a lot of caffeine or alcohol, I eat better, and most importantly, I have boundaries about my work and home life.
4. My home had a heavy and dusty environment, which made me feel weak and demotivated -
luckily for that, I took advantage of a robot vacuum cleaner for thick carpets.