Working Like An Adult, Sleeping Like A Baby

Last year around this time I was faced with the same issue. I have always been a "night crawler". However, It has not been until the last two years that I find myself completely restless with the inability to sleep. It's starting to take a toll on me something seriously. Not having adequate sleep results into the break down of your immune system, you may began to hallucinate and grasp reality (mostly with lighting, and start to stare off at things), you will have issues with you're growth hormones (although, I am already tall enough), easier to attract illnesses (especially the common cold), you become irritable, tired, or your body feels weird as if you're on cloud nine due to adrenaline, also you may experience emotional delays in your response, memory lost, all TYPES OF TERRIBLE THINGS!! Puffy eyes, Dry skin, The cells don't have time to rejuvenate!! There's a lost of appetite and concentration. UGHHHHHHHH! I must have experienced all of these things. But the emotional stress far outweigh the physical issues u may have to deal with.

Feeling as if you don't have control over your life made me feel helpless. I remember around this same time last year I was faced with the issue of sleeping. There I was in college taking 18 credits, completing a case study, and basically working 24 hours as an RA, oh yeah and in a long distance relationship. Sleep was not an option, keeping my appearance up to par fell at the waist line, I was a wreck!! Everything came to an extreme climax when me and my educational Professor got into a lil verbal disagreement. I was very angry and upset, irritable. I was missing my case study because I was oversleeping. I was coming late to her class because I was oversleeping. When I entered her class one day, late, she approached me about the issue and I began to snap. Thank gosh for a very understanding professor. She pulled me to the side after class and asked me what was going on?. I explained to her how I was having trouble sleeping, up all night cleaning, eating, reading, thinking, watching television, and even talking. JUST NOT SLEEPING. That's when she expressed to me she had these same issues and had seek professional help. She gave me a few tips to use so I can have a better night sleep, and honestly they did work. But here I am a year later experiencing the same issues. I work almost 30-40 hours a week (no set schedule, sometimes working doubles), working on this blog site, mentoring on the weekends, learning/reading, and dealing with all the other issues a young black women has to face. Maybe I have too much on my plate? but honestly I just feel as if my time is mismanaged due to sleep deprivation. I have decided to share the tips I learned once ago and will put into affect starting today (Feb 23rd). I will monitor my journey via blog for everyone, including myself, to witness the transition.

Tips To Help You Sleep Better:

1st thing 1st give your self a set bed time! It is best that an adult body gets in adequate 6-8 hours of sleep, every day. 

The Bed is OFF LIMITS: Your bed is not to be used as a desk or a hangout spot. The bed is to be used for sleeping and sexing. If you want to watch television watch it in the living room on the couch. If you want to finish typing up an email. Type it at a table where you sit in a chair. Reading is also to be done anywhere else other than the bed.

Make sure you stop any extraneous (physical and mental) task 30minutes to hour before going to sleep: no eating, no drinking, no showering unless done a half hour to hour before. For example, If I am working on a posting for my blog. It is not okay to finish the posting then just lay in my bed thinking I will be able to sleep. It is best to finish the blog giving myself time to unwind. Say I finish my posting at 9:30pm because I know I would like to be asleep by 10:15pm.

Turn off your lights, and television: Lights, Sounds, Your Favorite episode of The Office will definitely keep you awake

Place your phone far far away from you: far away. put it on silent unless if you use it as an alarm. but even then try to invest in an alarm.BBM, Text Message, Emailing at your fingertips, Twitter, and Face book, and even dialing. Put your phone away an hour before going to bed no exceptions.

When getting ready to sleep you can listen to music at a low volume (2/3) and soothing music: Something without words is even better (so you won't sing along) -Try Kenny G Greatest Hits- I love this man)

My Plans:

As of now I have found myself not being able to sleep until 5 or 6am. UGHHHHH. I usually get off of work at 12am in which I find an issue unwinding.

I am running a book club, a blog. I am working. I am mentoring. I am studying to take exams for my teaching license. I also want to get back into performing poetry and panting. Oh I forgot my newly purchased gym membership! and in the mist of all this I need a Social Life.

Soooooo I decided

 MY BEDTIME is 2:45AM

It takes me an hour to get home from work, while on the bus I can write my notes/question for the book club and or read the suggested piece of literature, face book, tweet, and text my home girls.
Once entering my house place my phone on silent and it is off limits for the night.
at 1am I should be home in which I can eat and take a shower (while eating I can watch any of my fav shows I DVR or do some web surfing) at
1:40am I can then finish any work regarding my blog. (submitting post, editing, sending out emails to the Sugar Water Staff)- From my kitchen table on my laptop.
At around 2:10- 2:15am I hope to start mentally and physically unwinding.

I will follow the above steps and stay strong trying to beat my CRACKBERRY CRAVINGS!! 

Remember I will keep you posted and you can share your stories and tips as well, under the comment section

Stay Sweet.