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When you're five, sleep is of no interest, naps the worst. Staying up all night seems like a great idea and something you swear to you little child-self that you will absolutely do when you are older. Just like eating a large order of French fries or an entire tub of ice cream.
In your teens all you want to do is sleep. And try not to think about French fries and ice cream so you will look as svelte as the cool girls in high school and the entire cheerleading squad.
Fast forward to adulthood and you treasure a weekend of no work and sleeping in. That is until you have children, when sleep deprivation is a constant and you wonder if you will ever feel rested again. But, then miraculousy your children are sleeping through the night and all is well, until they get their drivers license, then all bets are off. Luckily for us our daughter went to college in New York City, her mode of transportation walking or a subway ride. I slept like a baby for the first time in two years.
So, you think you've got this sleeping thing down perfectly? Eight hours of sleep a night and you're feeling pretty cocky. Then menopause comes along and any quality of sleep is elusive. Hot flashes and insomnia become the norm, and all you want to do is eat French fries and ice cream. Your hormones are running amok, your waistline is increasing and you could just scream.
Every article you read tells you how important sleep is. In April's Cooking Light, "Not getting enough sleep triggers hormonal changes that affect metabolism and appetite..." And their advice,
"Try for seven to nine hours of sleep nightly." Aha.
So, I'm going to try and implement their advice, "Go to bed earlier, limit distractions like a TV or phone in the bedroom, and allow yourself to catch up on sleep when needed." We'll see about that.
I'll keep you posted.
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