You’re probably not resting enough.
Pretty presumptive of me, right? Well, the reality is most of us are not resting enough, both actual sleep and wakeful resting as well. In our hustle, productivity, capitalistic culture, sleep often gets sacrificed very quickly for “other important things.” Let’s talk about why sleep and rest are so important. When you don’t get enough sleep, your brain and body cannot function optimally. You are more likely to make mistakes, struggle with focus, have memory challenges, be more emotionally reactive, as well as, have increased anxiety and depressed mood. Chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to increases in cancer and dementia as well. Not to mention it disrupts your metabolic health, hormone health, immune health, and pretty much every system in the body. The brain doesn’t flush out toxins in the same way as the rest of the body. Most of the body is constantly flushing out things you don’t need via the kidneys and liver. However, the brain mostly dumps its waste while you sleep. Cellular waste cumulates throughout the day and gets flushed through lymph at night. So when you don’t sleep enough or have quality sleep, this waste just builds up in your brain. Hello brain fog! No only does sleep help you feel and perform better in the present moment, it is incredibly protective over your long term health.
Ok, you may be wondering, “if I sleep well enough do I need to rest during the day?” And the answer is still yes! Modern life is incredibly cognitively demanding. Our brains are often overworked and overstimulated, constantly being bombarded with information and input. Without a little brain break, your brain will burn out. Resting increases attention, improves mood, and reduces anxiety. Meaning resting actually helps you perform better throughout your day. Have you ever felt keyed up from how much you had to do? I promise taking a break helps you reset, feeling calmer and more capable of tackling what you need to. If you have a physically demanding job, the same goes for your physical body. Our bodies are not something to beat into submission and it is our responsibility to care for ourselves. I know it can be hard to find the time for rest and sleep. However, it needs to be a priority, not an afterthought. Energy is a finite resource and must be respected as such. This has been a hard lesson for me. Ask anyone who’s known me for a while, it is not in my nature to let myself rest, I am not chill. However, it works. I hate to admit how simple and transformative it is, because well, that means my way wasn’t the best way and my ego doesn’t like that. So don’t be like me, ego driven. Don’t fight it, surrender to your needs. How are you going to make a positive difference in this world if you’re exhausted and run down all the time?
Questions to ponder.
What often interferes with getting enough sleep or rest for you?
How could your sleep routine be improved?
What needs to happen to prioritize rest and sleep in your life?
