That's Fit

When I became a mother, I quit sleeping. First it was pregnancy, then it was nightly feedings, colds, flu, toddler separation anxiety, pretty soon it just became permanent. It's like there's this switch in my brain that never lets me shut down and rest -- even when I've tucked everyone in and completed my to-do list. Now I lay down each night and try my different tricks -- deep breathing, relaxing each muscle, and counting backwards from 100. I get there eventually, but eight hours of sound, unbroken sleep? That just doesn't exist for me anymore.

I can see its effects in the morning. I have circles under my eyes that concealer won't cover and my face looks puffy. The mid-afternoon slump hits me hard and I know my memory and mood are often affected. According to this interesting article, though, what's happening inside my body may be even more serious. Losing just an hour or two of sleep each night puts people at risk for heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. In fact, in one study, participants were allowed only four hours sleep for two nights in a row. In just that short period of time, their bodies showed a marked increase in ghrelin -- a hormone that causes hunger -- and a significant decrease in leptin, which tells the body it's full. That fact struck home with me, because on nights that I really miss out on sleep, I can feel those changes. I'm constantly reaching for carbs to fill me up and boost my energy.

So I'm going to start making sleep a priority and get it under control. I'm setting a new, earlier bedtime for myself and allowing only relaxing activities an hour before. I'm cutting out caffeine and planning to exercise every morning to boost my energy instead. It's going to mean giving up a lot of my "me" time and probably most of my favorite TV shows, but I think the payoff will be worth it.