Sleep Deprivation

My daughter Yasmin has been on my case lately about getting enough sleep. I've always gotten by on about five hours of sleep a night and found it to be plenty, but as I get older, I'm finding that I need a lot more sleep than I'm getting, in spite of those quality naps at the office.

The problem is that, given our goofy schedules, it's hard to squeeze out the time to devote to sleep. Because Agnes works two jobs and usually doesn't get home evenings until around 9:30, I end up doing most of the cooking, dog walking, laundry, and general housework. Having dinner between 9:30 and 10:00 PM means we usually don't get to bed until around 10:30...and then I'm up each weekday morning at 4:10 to be out of the shower by 4:30 so that I can have the hour between 4:30 and 5:30 as my private time to write this blog, check e-mail, pay bills, etc. More and more, that 5 1/2 hours of sleep just isn't enough.

Yasmin sent me this link to an article about the importance of good sleep habits. I guess she's trying to use the choke: the article talks about the short-term and long-term consequences of not getting enough sleep. In the short term, the consequences include:

• Decreased performance and alertness (I can see this sometimes in my dance lessons);

• Memory and cognitive impairment (since my mother died of complications of Alzheimer's Disease, this one is probably the most immediately scary);

• Stress on relationships;

• Overall poor quality of life;

• Occupational injury (more of a risk when you operate machinery than when you work in an office, but still a concern); and

• Automobile injury (Agnes has pointed out that I sometimes tend to doze off when stopped at traffic lights...not a good thing).

And the long-term consequences include:

• High blood pressure (my doctor mentioned that at my last exam);

• Heart attack;

• Heart failure;

• Stroke;

• Obesity (I'm not obese but, like most of us, I could easily lose a few pounds...eating dinner right before going to bed doesn't help);

• Psychiatric problems, including depression and other mood disorders;

• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD); and

• Fetal and childhood growth retardation.

Well, okay, the point has been made. Now, how do I go about getting more sleep? It's easier said than done, but I guess that the consequences make it necessary figure out how to trade off the things I do now for the sleep I need for the long run.

After all, with four adorable grandchildren to watch grow and lots of beautiful ladies out there to dance with, I have a vested interest in staying healthy ... and awake ... for a long time. And so, if you'll excuse me, I need to catch 40 winks so I won't be too tired while I'm resting up for my nap.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo