asleep. Many refer to him as the cousin of death. We live in a society that screams “STAY AWAKE or don’t get caught sleeping.” Sleep implies that you are going to miss something, you are not concentrating or you are not paying attention. Even taking naps equates to laziness. “Who sleeps in the middle of the day? You’re not a baby.” there is the thought no time to sleep or can’t afford to sleep.

People deprive themselves of sleep, but it is an obligation of life. Sleep deprivation is sometimes used as an interrogation technique. Lack of sleep can put a strain on your physical and mental health that can basically be torture.

How crazy is that? Something as natural as sleep can cause delusions, anxiety, or even depression. To think that sometimes the lack of sleep comes by our own hand and we will justify this self-punishment.

Believing that by losing these necessary hours of rejuvenation we will achieve success. The culture drills into your head to keep working, pushing and moving because hard work pays off, but guess what?

“Sleep is a necessity not a luxury”

Sleep is a necessity, not a luxury, and for you to be your best, you need to rest. You can get used to sleep deprivation juggling your life, career, family, and other necessary activities, but eventually, sleep deprivation catches up with you. The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7 to 9 hours of sleep for adults ages 26 to 64, but 6 to 10 hours can also be considered sufficient amounts of sleep. The same recommendation is for young adults ages 18-25.

I know what you’re thinking, oh I can’t sleep that much or I don’t need to sleep that much. Others are wishing they could sleep, period.

There was a time in my life when I didn’t sleep and when I slept I never rested. I couldn’t separate myself from the day and my problems became a tangled knot. I decided this had to stop because I was mentally drained and tired. I discovered ways to get my snack time back.

I put myself on a schedule

I set a schedule and tried to stick to it. I made a list of duties or responsibilities that I needed to accomplish on a daily basis. Of course, there are times when I had to be flexible, being careful not to show up with too many obligations. If I didn’t complete something, I wasn’t hard on myself. I did my best to use my time more efficiently, like making phone calls during breaks or searching online for information I needed for other projects. It felt good to see the progress by checking off the items I accomplished throughout the day.

Invested in hot yoga

We all know that doing physical activity helps you release those endorphins that make you feel good; so I already had an exercise regimen, but by incorporating hot yoga I maximized the benefits. He was so relaxed at the end of each session. Not only did my stress level decrease, but there was also a significant change in my blood pressure. I felt refreshed like I had a detox and this got me ready for bed.

I stopped taking phone calls after 9 pm

I am an individual who has the gift of words. When I communicate with friends and family, sometimes those phone calls can last for hours. They are extremely entertaining, but can sometimes be overly stimulating depending on the theme of that particular night. Anyway, to eliminate being too nervous to sleep, I decided to put my phone on silent. It prevents you from being tempted to answer the phone, check emails or any other social network.

Prepared myself and my environment for the bed

It’s like when you go to a hotel and the bed looks so inviting with pillows and a nice duvet. Those beds look so impressive and attractive. I do that same environment in my house. I make my bed with pillows and everything. My bed is attractive and cozy. I differ from hotels because I took my TV out of my room. That may have been drastic, but for me, it set the stage for sleep.

Giving your body the rest it needs to tackle tasks gives you mental clarity, improves functionality, improves your mood and decreases irritability and restlessness, leaving you feeling rejuvenated and refreshed.

I am one of those people who require my full 8 hours of sleep. Now, I grant that I don’t hit my full hours every night, but I do have rest nights allotted.

I am by no means a sleep expert, but I am a sleep advocate. Also, I enjoy offering tidbits of information to my neighbor or wife. There are a plethora of techniques or medications (holistic, over-the-counter, or prescription) that you can do or take to promote sleep.

Although it is impossible to sacrifice sleep, sometimes to achieve a goal I suggest you find some kind of balance. Think about it!