Skip to main content

Day 8 of The Sleep Challenge


The bags under my eyes were so large that the cashier at the supermarket gave me a discount for bringing my own sacks. Not paper or plastic, but big ugly dark circles. I was cranky and out of sorts and sometimes even had difficulty concentrating. I knew what it was. I was following my own biological patterns. I had inherited my mother's nocturnal habits. My father used to say of her "Doesn't like to go to bed at night and doesn't like to get up in the morning".

But I live in a world where everyone else is alert and alive in the a.m. so I decided to challenge myself to get as close as I can to 8 hours sleep per night for 30 days and see if it doesn't make a dramatic difference.

Tonight will be the 8th night. I've done pretty well so far. I only had one evening where I had way too much to do and didn't make my personal curfew.

I hope to do some before and after analysis, maybe even a before and after photo to see if I can see the difference. Meanwhile, I am happy to report that I am experiencing more energy and I think my eyes are brighter and less puffy.

So don't call me after 9:30 PM because I will be cutting Z's for the next several weeks, and later if it turns out to be even half as invigorating as I hope.

Popular posts from this blog

Social Media Fast Day 1/2 I have been considering a social media fast.  Unbeknownst to me, someone I know was on a week long fast. She reported about how beneficial it was and I took that as a confirmation that this was the time for me. September 1 sneaked up on me and I had some commitments for posting some prayer requests, but once that was done, I uninstalled Facebook (my primary Social Media) form my phone. I can pretty well ignore Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn and the like but Facebook is my constant itch that I have to keep scratching. I came to the realization that I primarily use Facebook to feed my desire for approbation.  Don't we all want to be admired and respected?  Don't we often want to be right, to have a forum where others are agreeing with our brilliance?  LOL I'm guilty. I also realize the other downside of social media for me and that's all the political vitriol.  As much as I don't get sucked into it, as much as I scroll past...

A Good Week for Geezers

The 75 year old Joan Rivers was crowned the new Celebrity Apprentice on Sunday. On The Biggest Loser show, Helen (who was constantly bemoaning her age vs. the younger people she was competing with) won the whole enchilada. She had lost a total of 140 pounds. And Jerry, who is 64 years old, won the $100K prize for losing almost 48 percent of his body weight. Even the Aussie who was on the show from Australia's Biggest Loser was 57 (my age incidentally). Does this give me hope or add pressure? I'm not so sure. But I'm just happy to know that it's not all about the twenty or thirty somethings.

Spring Fever Joy List

It was a beautiful day here in the Mid-Atlantic. We had unseasonably high temps and it was a day for spring fever. Sometimes on days like this when all seems right in my world I wonder how it gets any better than this. I think back to all the springs in my life. I remember times I took a mental health day just to feel the newness of the season. I recall a lilac dress I had when I was a senior in high school and how I felt like spring personified. I recollect writing poetry and being in love and just feeling like I was walking on air. Here's my joy list from today: The high clouds in the bright blue sky The scent of the spring blooms The pretty tulips out front at the building where I work Flowering trees along the highway The feel of the sun The flower sale we had as a fundraiser and the pretty begonias I bought Seeing everyone break out their warm season clothes Knowing our dear little cat was spending most of the day on his favorite perch on the sun porch Thinking about the u...