Remember sleep?
I think it's safe to assume that most of you reading this do not get 8 hours of sleep a night. I also think it's safe to assume that most of you just scoffed at the previous sentence.
In modern, western culture, forgoing sleep in order to be busier, do more, and be more stressed out is almost a status symbol. We regularly regale one another with tales of how much we have done or have to do. Currently, the most common answer to the question “How are you?” is “Tired” (followed closely by “Busy”) If someone says they feel well-rested and are not stressed, we look at them like they have 2 heads and just said that the sky is bright green. People who make the time to take care of themselves are seen as weird.
Is sleep really that important?
The short answer? YES.
The long answer...keep reading
Ayurveda is the sister science to yoga. Basically put, it's a natural system of medicine. Ayurveda uses food, herbs, oils, rest, yoga, mindfulness, and other natural remedies to heal to the body. The three pillars of this medicinal practice are, simply put: eat, rest, and love. Proper nutrition, adequate sleep, and proper management of sexual activity (or relationships, depending on who you ask) are the basis for optimal health.
Sleep is not a waste of time as many people believe. Many things happen during sleep that cannot happen at any other time. The body isn't doing nothing while we are unconscious in our slumber. It is healing. Sleep is when the body moves most of the energy from conscious functioning to fighting disease, eliminating toxins, and repairing whatever damages we caused to our bodies or systems during the previous day.
The nervous system is also inactive during sleep, giving it a much needed break after being overloaded all day. If the nervous system does not get a regular, proper break, we become more prone to things like anxiety, eating disorders, and substance abuse. People with irregular or inadequate sleep patterns also have more headaches, poor circulation, more gastrointestinal issues, and a slurry of other things none of us want to deal with.
We learn more, that is we actually retain more knowledge, when we are fully rested. The inactive time during sleep is when the new neural pathways formed during the day are strengthened. This means that the new information sticks better and is more likely to be remembered. Our minds are better able to be creative, to come up with solutions to problems, and cope with the stressors that happen in every day life. Plus, dreaming can be fun.
I am guilty of sometimes putting off sleep in order to “do more”, but really, how important are these things? Is it really important that I finish the dishes, scroll through social media, watch a tv show, do something because someone else wants me to, or finish up work for a job that would replace me tomorrow if I died? The answer is no. (The only caveat is staying up until 2 a.m. because you just can't put that book down!! I'm kidding...well...kind of...we all have things to work on, myself included.)
I used to be an insomniac. I literally got between 1 and 4 hours of sleep per night for 1.5 years. It was terrible. I could barely function, I was sick all the time, my allergies had gotten so out of control that I was scratching my eyes bloody, my eye twitched, my hair was falling out, and I felt helpless, hopeless, and overwhelmed every single day. It was during this time that I discovered yoga. Once I had gotten a full 8hours of sleep most nights for about a year, my health drastically changed. Old injuries stopped hurting so much, my allergies were all but gone, I started 2 businesses, and felt like a brand new person!
Ask people who are suffering from terrible diseases if they would want their health back or to binge watch their favorite tv show again. Ask those who have gone so long without proper sleep that they can barely move around in their golden years if mowing their lawn into perfect lines because “what if the neighbor's yard looks better” was worth it.
Old adages become old adages become they are universally true: You don't know what you've got until it's gone. Sleep is an irreplaceable part of life. We can't buy our way out or work our way out of sleep deprivation. We can't even “health” our way out of it. No matter how much we exercise, meditate, and eat kale, we will never replace sleep. Teens need 9-10 hours, adults need 8-9 hours, and older adults need 7-8 hours. While each body is different, none of us are at optimal health at 5 or 6 hours of sleep a night.
Do we want to survive, or do we want to truly thrive, my friends? Now, go get some sleep and dream about a potato riding a bicycle on his way to the duck's birthday on Mars. Your bed is calling your name, my friend!
