Last week I challenged you to write down what time you wake up and what time  you go to bed each day, and to write down how you’re feeling emotionally, physically, before you go to bed each night etc.  Did you try it?  Were you surprised by anything?  Did you see a trend anywhere?   Did you find you were exhausted?  Grumpy?  Keyed up an unable to go to sleep?  Let’s chat about it in the comments!

We’re at the beginning of this #insomniaLounge journey together, and you might think you get enough sleep, but be surprised to find out that lack of sleep is causing stress, lack of patience, grumpiness etc, during the day, and that simply grabbing a few more zzz’s can change your whole perspective.   Or, you might know you’re exhausted, and need more sleep but can’t seem to get those zzz’s you know you need.

It’s more complex than simply going to bed earlier, and we’re working our way through Sleepless in America to find out how and why sleep is impacting us in unexpected ways, and what to do about it.  (Note: This is not a sponosored or affiliate post in any way.  We just believe Sleep and Rest are crazy important and want to share it with you.)

This week, let’s think about how it feels when you know you’re short on sleep.  When the kiddos have been keeping you up all night and you’ve only snatched a couple hours here and there.  Or when some big project keeps you up well past midnight even though you have to be up bright and early…

Below is my list of what happens to me when I don’t get enough sleep.  Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments!

• Can’t make the simplest decisions (What to make for dinner?  I stare blankly at the pantry unable to think of a single thing to make, or I wander aimlessly through the grocery store taking 30 minutes to find 3 items.)
• Clumsy (I’m generally clumsy as a rule, but when I’m extra tired, I run into the walls, stub my toe on the kitchen chair, drop a glass of juice in the kitchen, etc.)
• Zero patience, tolerance or kindness (My oldest asks me to fix him some Tang and I snap at him that he’s old enough to fix it himself.  Or my youngest is d0-dah-do-dah-do-dah-do-dah-ing repetitively and a harsh “Stop it!” comes out of my mouth before I can stop myself.)

I used to think that these were just flaws I had that I should work on.  Turns out every one of these things is directly related to not getting enough sleep!  If I get enough sleep, I can control my thoughts, my body, and my reactions with ease.  These ‘problems’ simply disappear (…for the most part.  Let’s be real. I’m still human. )  

Such a simple, painless fix!

New research has demonstrated the key role adequate sleep plays in the ability to control one’s emotions, behavior, and attention span.  Without sufficient sleep, your…performance, mood, focus, and ability to work with others deteriorate rapidly.  Power struggles begin with a lousy night’s sleep.
-Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, Sleepless in America

Take Action: This week, keep a list of ALL the little things.  Things that get on your nerves. Anytime you get stuck deciding what to wear, or making some other simple decision.  Did you slop the pasta sauce out of the pan stirring too hard?  Drop things?  Do something clumsy or hurt yourself? Lose your keys…again?  Write it down.  Even if you think it’s NOT related to lack of sleep.  We’ll come back to this list at the end of the series, so hang on to it! Put it by your bed where you won’t have to look for it later.  :) And don’t forget:

Always put on your own *sleep* mask first…  

Note:  While the CMA posts will focus on sleep, your post for the linkup below is still free to be on any goal you’d like community and accountability in achieving.   We’re so glad you’re here!

You know when you’re in an airplane and the flight crew says “In the event of an emergency, always put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others”?     There’s a reason for that, right?  Because you’re not going to be able to help someone else if you’re passed out from lack of oxygen yourself. 

Sleep and resting your body are exactly the same.  It is crucial to take care of yourself in order to be able to help others.  And I don’t mean help others sleep.  I mean the pour yourself out for your kids, your husband, your family, your church, your community…. all of it.  If you don’t have enough sleep and rest, simply are not able to be the best version of yourself that you could be.

“Oh, I get enough sleep though.”   Is that the thought running through your head?   My guess is you’ll be surprised that you might not, and my prayer is that this series will bless both you and those who already know they need more sleep.

When my oldest was little, I thought he just didn’t need that much sleep.  He napped, and was never tired (or so I thought), and it took forever to get him to sleep at night.   He would literally go and go and go until he just crashed.  We marveled at it, and even nicknamed him after the Energizer Bunny….

Then one day I was at the library looking through the “NEW” books cart, and a book jumped out at me: Sleepless in America.  I have to admit I grabbed it to read the back because I thought it might be a Sleepless in Seattle sequel?  No such luck.  ;)  I was quickly disappointed, and then fascinated by the topic:   Is your child misbehaving or simply missing sleep?

Long story short, I checked it out, and within a week I had ordered a copy to keep for myself because I was hooked.   I learned so much about sleep, both for my child and for myself.    My oldest who was ‘never tired’ was actually  over tired and the running and crazy energy and difficulty going to sleep stemmed from there.  I started watching for the over tired behavior and trying to get him to sleep before it kicked in, and it changed my life as a mom.  No joke.  I also realized that my ability to deal with my child hinged on my own lack of sleep, and suddenly I wasn’t nearly such a crabby and frustrated  mama.  This book is now one of only two books that I recommend to new parents, and I’ve reread it several times.  (This is NOT a sponsored or affiliate post.  I’m sharing the book with you simply because I feel so strongly that we need to learn to get enough sleep in a culture where lack of sleep is either acceptable or worse, expected.)

God built us needing rest, and he tells us that even He rests.

Let’s learn how to honor and observe that together. Over the next several weeks, we’ll be doing a series on sleep here for Count Me Accountable.  I’ll be sharing what I’ve learned, and hopefully you’ll be challenged to look at your own sleep habits and see where you can make changes to help yourself and your family feel more rested.  If you have particular questions or struggles, please leave a comment and I’ll do my best to include them.

If you want, between now and next Thursday, grab a sheet of paper and write down what time you wake up and what time  you go to bed each day.  And before bed, write down how you’re feeling emotionally, physically, etc.  You might be surprised at what you find out.  And don’t forget:

Always put on your own *sleep* mask first…  ;)

Note:  While the CMA posts will focus on sleep, your post for the linkup below is still free to be on any goal you’d like community and accountability in achieving.

Last weekend I was blessed to hear Jon Acuff’s closing Keynote at Blissdom.

He’s equal parts absolutely hilarious, and fabulously inspiring.  If you ever get the chance to hear him speak, don’t miss it!

He was talking about his new book, Start.

Start working on your dream.

Your goals.

That thing you LOVE.

Just Start.

“Punch fear in the face.”

~Jon Acuff

Start.   

You’re not going to be an overnight success.  You’re going to be a beginner.  Someone learning, who makes mistakes and grows along the way.  But you have to START.

Eventually you’ll reach your way to mastery, and be able to reach back and guide/mentor someone else who is just at the starting line.   But you have to START first.  And you have to stick with it.

So here’s my question for you:

What is God calling you to START doing?

What’s your goal?

Your dream?

That thing you love?

And how can we encourage you and help you stay accountable?