Powerdown Before You Laydown
Years ago, when my wife and I found out we were having our first child, we promptly got to work on the all-important how-tos of parenting. First on our list was sleep. Everything we read and all the council we received drilled into us the importance of good, restful sleep. Not just for the baby, but for us as well.
As a parent, you have to essentially teach your young children how to sleep correctly. And with the proper routine and the right amount of sleep, you're well on the way to a happy and healthy child. Parents quickly learn that bedtime needs to be an intentional routine that trains children to prepare their minds and bodies for sleep, even as they grow older. "Getting ready for bed" is more than just brushing teeth, putting on pajamas, and reading stories. It's powering down their bodies and minds, so their sleep is as beneficial as possible.
Yet somehow, as we get older, we forget--or maybe even ignore--how important it is to prepare for sleep.
Take a second and think about your day. Do you hit the ground running in the morning? Push yourself to the limit? Taking care of the kids, checking email, after-school activities, doing homework, stress about deadlines, and your determination to accomplish everything you put on your to-do list. Without warning, sleep turns into nothing more than a short reprieve between tasks rather than the necessary restoration your body and mind need. Without the proper rest, we inevitably will become less productive, less effective, and most of all, less than the person we are designed to be.
Despite our insistence to overwork ourselves, even at the expense of sleep, we were never created to push ourselves this hard. Productive sleep is critical. But getting that sleep requires us to power down before we lay down.
What does that mean? It's simple. As the day comes to an end, allow yourself to slow down. Avoid things like big meals, coffee, and exercise. Don't stare at your phone before bed--or worse, in bed. And please, whatever you do, don't check emails before bed. It never ends well. All of these things keep our brains active and ruin our chances for a good night's sleep. Falling into bed at night and dragging your weary self out of bed in the morning is a clear sign you are not getting the most out of your most critical rest time.
Our best chance of being our best self begins with sleep. The self we are designed and destined to be must start with rest. This means we need to take advantage of the time we have each night to get the best sleep possible. This week, try treating bedtime like you're a kid again. Put your pajamas on, brush your teeth, and read a story--take the time to power down before you lay down.
Challenges/Points:
No matter how old we are, productive sleep begins even before you crawl in bed for the night.
Don't sacrifice sleep in your efforts to be productive. It doesn't work.
Rediscover bedtime like we are kids again.
Questions:
How many hours of sleep do you average per night?
How often do you actively engage your mind and/or body right before bedtime?
What are some things you can do to recreate a child-like bedtime routine?
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