Thank you coffee shops for existing! ๐ Especially to those who have free wifi! I’m writing this post at, you guessed it, Starbucks (Nexus Bangsar South). I’m so grateful that the coffee shops here have free wifi. Some (or is it all?) Starbucks in the Philippines don’t have wifi that’s why most people have portable wifi. Anyway, my go-to drink is always a cup of tea. But when I need an extra boost, I always go for Caramel Macchiato, less sweet, grande. I add more enjoyment to my cup of coffee by listening to a happy bossa nova playlist. Now let’s get started!
โFinish each day before you begin the next, and interpose a solid wall of sleep between the two.โ – Ralph Waldo Emerson
I have watched Arianna Huffington’s TED talk a couple of times and it always makes me laugh. This is only 4 minutes and 42 seconds long so there’s no excuse to not watch it. The first time I’ve watched this, I slept 2 hours earlier than my usual bedtime. Please watch this video before continuing to read my article. ๐
Fast forward today, I am not yet that consistent in sleeping early. I slept around 3am last Tuesday (well it was Wednesday already). Last night I slept around 10pm. Tonight, I might be sleeping a bit late (hopefully not 3am!).
- 32% sleep 5-6 hours
- 32% sleep at 11pm (I belong to this group obviously)
- 28% wake up at 5am
After reading the article in Forbes, I realized that the number of hours is not the most important part of sleep but the quality of it. If you sleep for 8 hours but keep waking up every 2-3 hours, you will still wake up a bit groggy whereas getting 5 straight hours of sleep.
If you’re wondering if successful people sleep, yes they do. And Huffington Post has a great article about it. Here are my favorite excerpts:
โIt turns out, when children get enough sleep, everythingโs fine,โ she said in a HuffPost Live interview. โAnd when children donโt, nothing is. I realized… Iโm like that, too!โ – Facebook COO and Lean In author Sheryl Sandberg
โIโm more alert and I think more clearly,โ Bezos told the Wall Street Journal. โI just feel so much better all day long if Iโve had eight hours.โ – Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com
โI like to get seven hours of sleep a night because thatโs what I need to stay sharp and creative and upbeat,โ he said in a Microsoft FAQ. – Bill Gates
If you’re still not convinced that sleep is important, perhaps these 11 Surprising Health Benefits of Sleep by Health.com will.
- Improves memory
- Longer life
- Curb inflammation
- Spur creativity
- Improves your performance
- Improve your grades
- Sharpens attention
- Have a healthy weight
- Lower stress
- Avoid accidents
- Steer clear of depression
But how do you get a peaceful sleep?
- Cutting out late night caffeine might help. So think twice before you grab a cup of coffee or soda after eating dinner.
- If you get hungry late at night, go for a bowl of cottage cheese with bananas as this can help you sleep better because of tryptophan, an amino acid that converts to sleep-promoting serotonin in the body. (Health.com)
- Let your body relax by closing your eyes and perform breathing exercises. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. You can also meditate. One of my favorite apps is Headspace. It’s worth checking out.
- Set the mood for a good night’s sleep by turning off your lights or install a dimmer switch so you can switch to a low light setting when it’s closer to bedtime.
- This is one of the hardest tips I could give but it is really effective. Don’t use your phone on your bed when it’s bedtime. I love Instagram and I love watching videos when I’m on my bed. But I realized it keeps me from sleeping. When I start using my phone at night, I have a hard time putting it down. And long before I know it, it’s already 2 hours past my bedtime.
I hope you enjoyed my article about why getting enough sleep is important.
Overall, sleep makes you feel better. It does not only help you banish those under eye circles but it is a key part to achieving a healthy lifestyle. Now, let’s sleep our way to the top! ๐
-RJ Lyn