I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I’m awake, you know? ~ Ernest Hemingway
But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep. ~ Robert Frost
This week I found myself deeply relating to the Robert Frost quote, “and miles to go before I sleep.” With so much work to do before the beginning of the school year I have been working 12- 18 hours a day and getting, at most 5 hours of sleep a night (I really need at least 7-8 to function). This has been very challenging for me. I am happy to work hard. I am happy to work long hours. I am happy to do whatever I need to do in order to fulfill my job requirements. I do all these things much more efficiently with sleep.
Have you ever noticed that once you lose too much sleep you become worthless? I find that I have this threshold of sleep I can handle missing, and then when I have lost too much something shifts… suddenly my productivity is so depleted that the work I produce is not competent, and often has to be fixed or repeated. In those moments, I find that a long night’s sleep or a day off actually allows me to be more productive than continuing to push on as I can barely function.
Sleep is critical to our health – it is critical to mental and physical health. I have learned that if I really want to be an effective contributor to my workplace, then I need to take care of myself and force myself to get the sleep I need. I offer more to myself and others when I am able to be diligent with self-care. Being a martyr and working long hours at the expense of your own health not only harms you, it harms the work you do. Hopefully you have a boss/ employer who understands this reality.
Today, 193 days ’til 40, I am conscious of the need for sleep and look forward to getting ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz.
~400daystil40 ZZZzzzZZZzzz
Fortuitous Forty!!! 
addicttoaddict
August 12, 2012 at 00:06
Ah, yes, sleep!!!! The lack of it affects so many things. HALT – Hungry, angry, lonely, tired…
400daystil40
August 12, 2012 at 12:36
Oh I love that – I am going to have to use HALT!!!
addicttoaddict
August 14, 2012 at 04:12
You learn a few things in AA and NA meetings…
Katie
August 12, 2012 at 00:14
To add to the decreased work quality, my fuse gets shorter and my frustration more acute.
400daystil40
August 12, 2012 at 12:35
Oh yes!!! So does mine!!!
thelastsongiheard
August 12, 2012 at 08:34
I’ve not been getting enough sleep recently… perhaps six hours, if I’m lucky, during the week. I’ve definitely noticed some negative effects at work… so next week, I’m going to try and exercise and sleep more. I can always stay up late at the weekend… 🙂
400daystil40
August 12, 2012 at 12:34
Oh no, you need to get that exercise and sleep – me too!!!!!
No Blog Intended
August 12, 2012 at 13:00
Next to agreeing on what you say, i alos want to tell you I’ve nominated you for awards!
400daystil40
August 12, 2012 at 21:50
Oh wow, thank you so much for the compliment! It made my day!!! 🙂
No Blog Intended
August 13, 2012 at 11:14
Here’s the Award take away: http://noblogintended.wordpress.com/2012/08/12/whats-olympic-gold-when-youve-got-an-award/
Lucianus Mauricius
August 12, 2012 at 13:23
You know what, you’re right. We all need sleep and at different lengths depending on the person. I used to sleep between 10 to 13 hours a night, it was the only way I could manage to function the next day. Now I sleep between 3 to 5 hours a night, mostly 3 hours, and I work the night shift, which means I have to be asleep by 5 pm and be up by 1am. This whole shift since the beginning of the years has totally change me. I’m a different person, tired, headaches, irritable and on the edge all the time. The problem is not just sleep deprivation but also the quality of sleep which has been bad all my life, but seems to have jumped ship since January. Even when I have plenty of time to calm down before sleep (which is absolutely necessary for me) I still am not able to sleep, or sleep well.
This is why on my 6th consecutive work day last Friday I posted on Facebook the following message: I’m having my period, so all you bitches beware!!! 😛
400daystil40
August 12, 2012 at 21:49
Wow, I have no idea how you are able to manage the change…… it would kill me… I understand why you would post the FB message you did!
Lucianus Mauricius
August 13, 2012 at 04:22
It was fun actually, not necessary, but fun 😉
400daystil40
August 13, 2012 at 22:29
🙂
viveka
August 12, 2012 at 19:27
I’m going to replay with a C.S Lewis quote “Many things–such as loving, going to sleep, or behaving unaffectedly–are done worst when we try hardest to do them.”
400daystil40
August 12, 2012 at 21:48
What a great quote – I LOVE it!!!!! Thank you so much for posting it – it is so true!!!
vanessaleighsblog
August 12, 2012 at 23:42
Thanks for visiting my blog; and I hope that you are getting the rest that you need! You will be ready to finish all you need to when you are properly cared for! Vanessa
400daystil40
August 13, 2012 at 23:04
Thanks, Vanessa!!!!! 🙂
tonyakerrigan
August 13, 2012 at 14:24
You’re probably going to hate me, but…I’m one of those people who can function on little sleep. I actually do better when I don’t get a lot of sleep. Normally I get 3-4 hours of sleep a night. If I get more than that, I’m groggy and sluggish the rest of the day. Weird, I know.
400daystil40
August 13, 2012 at 23:01
Okay, you are right – I hate you (okay, I do not hate you, I am extremely jealous!!!) What I would do to be able to function on so little sleep!
jukk888
August 14, 2012 at 11:12
Sleep is important especially if we go through all its stages. My skin doesn’t look good and I don’t digest meals well when I sleep to little. If several sleepless nights or nights with few hours of sleep is followed by a long sleep, it’s normal to feel tired after you wake up because your body has done the accumulated repairs it hasn’t been able to do.
400daystil40
August 14, 2012 at 23:12
Yes, I am not managing to get all my sleep stages and I feel it…. I often experience what you write about – no sleep then waking up tired from catch up…
amberwild
August 15, 2012 at 14:58
I think one of the cruelest jokes that happens in nature is what happens to your body when having a new baby. When you’re about to have a baby you’re huge, and too uncomfortable to sleep. Then, you give birth and your body goes through a lot in a short period of time. You need adequate rest to recover, yet your child needs to eat every 3 hours or so. And, I found after having my first, that I will never sleep through the night again, because I always have to get up to pee! Who came up with this plan?!
400daystil40
August 16, 2012 at 15:34
Yes, I agree completely!