August “I Will” and Re-post of “Summer of Sleep”
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MadisonMolly2017
Posts: 10,998 Member
Hi Friends,
I decided to post a “goodie” from the past…@themedalist’s excellent Summer of Sleep Challenge.
Some of us grapple with sleep & for some it is a non-issue!
You get to design your own August “I Will” as usual.
I’m going to focus on sleep. For 8 of the past 9 days, my new routine has had miraculous results. And if I average my night of 6 hrs with the previous night’s 8 hours, it’s still miraculous.
Everyone’s path is different. For a number of reasons, I left sleep to the end of my Habit Journey. Years of procrastination. I knew it would be the most difficult - right there with not eating out.
What I’ve learned is all those things that are recommended REALLY WORK!
And all the benefits Denise mentions below DO HAPPEN!
* I set a bedtime.
* I read a real book in bed from 1 hr before bedtime.
* I’m off all screens 2 hrs before bedtime & I charge phone & watch downstairs/sleep upstairs. (My doctor recommended this strongly. I’d done one hour in the past & it didn’t work.)
* If I’m worrying, I use the one technique that I FINALLY found that works for me:
Breathe in “All is Well”
Breathe Out “letting go of all I wish might have been different”
Because I’m charging my phone & watch downstairs, my mornings are more refreshing as I do the routine (stacked habits) we created over the past couple of months. Lovely. Often I’ll read a little of an inspirational art book after all my To Do’s are done, before heading down to breakfast & beyond.
Note: Please look at the top of the July I Will” for info on how to create your “August I Will”!
And now for those who are interested, @themedalist’s post from 2017! …
😴💤🥱😴💤🥱😴💤🥱
Theme: Healthy Practices
Challenge: ZZzzzzzzzz
For as long as I can remember, I have minimized sleep. I gave sleep the day’s leftovers. Whatever time was left after I finished doing what I needed and wanted to do, that time went to sleep. Sleep was never a priority and I prided myself on being one of those people that didn’t need that much sleep.
But getting by on as little sleep as possible Isn’t the same thing as thriving. I know how much better I feel when I get enough sleep – – I am happier, more alert, better at solving problems and handling life’s curveballs, and I make better food choices then when I’m short changing my sleep. And I know that sleep is as much a pillar of good health as eating well or exercise. While I know that sleep is vital, until now I haven’t shifted my sleep focus from knowing to doing.
Good sleep is fundamental to good health. Sleep helps our bodies recover, it’s essential to regulating hormones (such as the hunger hormone ghrelin) and it helps the brain function optimally. In fact, depression and anxiety have been correlated with sleep deprivation. Sufficient sleep is also vital for memory consolidation, learning, and reducing inflammatory markers than can lead to diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and premature aging.
If you also have been giving sleep the short stick, if your sleep is hit or miss, if you KNOW you should get more sleep but it’s never really happened, let’s change that. Let’s make sleep our priority over the next two weeks. Our weekly challenges are rooted in helping us move from the knowing to the doing, by carving out time and space in our lives to focus on one healthy habit at a time. Habits take time and practice and sleep is no different. Let’s make it our focus.
This Month’s Challenge: Watch the TED talk below by neuroscientist and noted sleep expert Russell Foster. Then decide on a reasonable sleep goal for yourself, based on your current sleeping patterns. What barriers do you need to address in order to get better sleep? What changes can you make to your evening routine to make it more conducive to a good night’s sleep?
If you have a Fitbit or another activity tracker, the sleep tracking feature is a great asset. I’m going to post daily either my sleep duration from the night before or how far above or below (in minutes) I am from my sleep goal. Please feel free to do the same. I like the accountability that a daily post provides. What gets measured can be improved. Let’s make our sleep hours as much of a priority as our daily step count.
Make it a great month!
...............................................................................................
Suggested Resources:
Russell Foster TED Talk: Why Do We Sleep? (link below)
11 Surprising Benefits of Sleep
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20459221,00.htm
The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time by Arianna Huffington (I just finished reading this book and it’s excellent)
...............................................................................................
I decided to post a “goodie” from the past…@themedalist’s excellent Summer of Sleep Challenge.
Some of us grapple with sleep & for some it is a non-issue!
You get to design your own August “I Will” as usual.
I’m going to focus on sleep. For 8 of the past 9 days, my new routine has had miraculous results. And if I average my night of 6 hrs with the previous night’s 8 hours, it’s still miraculous.
Everyone’s path is different. For a number of reasons, I left sleep to the end of my Habit Journey. Years of procrastination. I knew it would be the most difficult - right there with not eating out.
What I’ve learned is all those things that are recommended REALLY WORK!
And all the benefits Denise mentions below DO HAPPEN!
* I set a bedtime.
* I read a real book in bed from 1 hr before bedtime.
* I’m off all screens 2 hrs before bedtime & I charge phone & watch downstairs/sleep upstairs. (My doctor recommended this strongly. I’d done one hour in the past & it didn’t work.)
* If I’m worrying, I use the one technique that I FINALLY found that works for me:
Breathe in “All is Well”
Breathe Out “letting go of all I wish might have been different”
Because I’m charging my phone & watch downstairs, my mornings are more refreshing as I do the routine (stacked habits) we created over the past couple of months. Lovely. Often I’ll read a little of an inspirational art book after all my To Do’s are done, before heading down to breakfast & beyond.
Note: Please look at the top of the July I Will” for info on how to create your “August I Will”!
And now for those who are interested, @themedalist’s post from 2017! …
😴💤🥱😴💤🥱😴💤🥱
Theme: Healthy Practices
Challenge: ZZzzzzzzzz
For as long as I can remember, I have minimized sleep. I gave sleep the day’s leftovers. Whatever time was left after I finished doing what I needed and wanted to do, that time went to sleep. Sleep was never a priority and I prided myself on being one of those people that didn’t need that much sleep.
But getting by on as little sleep as possible Isn’t the same thing as thriving. I know how much better I feel when I get enough sleep – – I am happier, more alert, better at solving problems and handling life’s curveballs, and I make better food choices then when I’m short changing my sleep. And I know that sleep is as much a pillar of good health as eating well or exercise. While I know that sleep is vital, until now I haven’t shifted my sleep focus from knowing to doing.
Good sleep is fundamental to good health. Sleep helps our bodies recover, it’s essential to regulating hormones (such as the hunger hormone ghrelin) and it helps the brain function optimally. In fact, depression and anxiety have been correlated with sleep deprivation. Sufficient sleep is also vital for memory consolidation, learning, and reducing inflammatory markers than can lead to diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and premature aging.
If you also have been giving sleep the short stick, if your sleep is hit or miss, if you KNOW you should get more sleep but it’s never really happened, let’s change that. Let’s make sleep our priority over the next two weeks. Our weekly challenges are rooted in helping us move from the knowing to the doing, by carving out time and space in our lives to focus on one healthy habit at a time. Habits take time and practice and sleep is no different. Let’s make it our focus.
This Month’s Challenge: Watch the TED talk below by neuroscientist and noted sleep expert Russell Foster. Then decide on a reasonable sleep goal for yourself, based on your current sleeping patterns. What barriers do you need to address in order to get better sleep? What changes can you make to your evening routine to make it more conducive to a good night’s sleep?
If you have a Fitbit or another activity tracker, the sleep tracking feature is a great asset. I’m going to post daily either my sleep duration from the night before or how far above or below (in minutes) I am from my sleep goal. Please feel free to do the same. I like the accountability that a daily post provides. What gets measured can be improved. Let’s make our sleep hours as much of a priority as our daily step count.
Make it a great month!
...............................................................................................
Suggested Resources:
Russell Foster TED Talk: Why Do We Sleep? (link below)
11 Surprising Benefits of Sleep
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20459221,00.htm
The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time by Arianna Huffington (I just finished reading this book and it’s excellent)
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~ ~ ~ Waving H I~ ~ ~ 🙋🏼 ~ ~ ~ Wishing Everyone a SPARKtacular Saturday ~ AND ~ a LOVEly COLORfilled Weekend ~ ~ ~
Setting Up My ~ I WILLs ~ for AUGUST
I WILL Focus on an Attitude of Gratitude ....
I WILL Continue a Low Carb Low Calories Diet along with IF eating 11-7
I WILL Commit to Using my Smart Watch Daily keeping track of my Steps along with my Heart Beats And Blood pressure and SLEEP
I WILL Commit making every effort to reach at least 15,000 steps daily weekdays and 10,000 steps Daily on weekend
I WILL keep a healthy balance of Responsibilities along with FUN Times... Making sure I do some Crafting, While I am doing my decluttering
I WILL take time to Enjoy the Every Day Moments and I Will focus on my 2021 Mantra ~STOP~LOOK~LISTEN to help me
I WILL spend more time on counting my BLESSings rather than Counting my daily Obstacles
~💕~💖~💛~🧡~💚~💙~💜~ 💕 ~💖~💛~🧡~💚~💙~💜~💕~💖~💛~🧡~💚~💙~💜~💕~💖~💛~🧡~💚~💙~💜~💕~
.6 -
Hey y'all! Popping in quickly to say I am so excited to focus on sleep this month...great idea @MadisonMolly2017
And thank you for that wonderful resource @themedalist
I am about to head out for my daily walk...but plan to watch the TED Talk when I get back!
Angela6 -
Interesting. I love the opening about the alarm clock being a bad thing. LOL. I have pretty much mostly done away with having an alarm clock in the mornings even going back in to work. Listening to the TED talk from 2013 now. I totally agree with the importance, and thank you Maddie for posting about this and the things which you are changing to get more sleep.
One thing I started a few weeks ago was very strange but seems to help me get to sleep faster. I have been turning the electric blanket on so that the bed is heated before I get in. Of course it's summer so the AC is running like a bad dog. I turn the blanket off once I get in bed but something about the heat at first helps me relax.
Also, a purring cat is a wonderful sleep aide. Much as a noisy heavy paws cat is an alarm clock also.
As far as what tiny habit I want to add for August I am still thinking. I am so totally stressed right now over having to be in the office while Covid Delta is in UNCONTROLLED community spread and more and more vaxxed people are catching it here. I am going to shelter back down for a few weeks until this big hump passes but not sure how to get the management buy in yet.
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Hi! @MadisonMolly2017 and @themedalist thank you for bringing this important topic back and providing information regarding sleep.
How do the experts calculate those sleep hours? Is it the time you spend in bed or do you need to use a tracking device to know the amount of minutes you were actually sleeping? I always wondered about this 7-9 hour recommendation. I do know that planning to be in bed for 8-9 hours results in at least 7 hours of sleep whereas planning for 8 hours usually gets me less than 7. Bottom line is I need to be in bed before midnight because I do like early mornings and I feel better when my FitBit says I've slept at least 7 hours. Maybe I need a night owl intervention?!? OR maybe I just need to change some bad habits??!!?! I'm going to listen to a podcast on circadian rhythm today. All of this thinking has been exhausting. I think I feel a nap coming on 5 -
SummerSkier wrote: »Interesting. I love the opening about the alarm clock being a bad thing. LOL. I have pretty much mostly done away with having an alarm clock in the mornings even going back in to work. Listening to the TED talk from 2013 now. I totally agree with the importance, and thank you Maddie for posting about this and the things which you are changing to get more sleep.
One thing I started a few weeks ago was very strange but seems to help me get to sleep faster. I have been turning the electric blanket on so that the bed is heated before I get in. Of course it's summer so the AC is running like a bad dog. I turn the blanket off once I get in bed but something about the heat at first helps me relax.
Also, a purring cat is a wonderful sleep aide. Much as a noisy heavy paws cat is an alarm clock also.
As far as what tiny habit I want to add for August I am still thinking. I am so totally stressed right now over having to be in the office while Covid Delta is in UNCONTROLLED community spread and more and more vaxxed people are catching it here. I am going to shelter back down for a few weeks until this big hump passes but not sure how to get the management buy in yet.
@SummerSkier Thank you! I love the electric blanket idea - will try!
I’m sorry your situation is so stressful… Since your habits are solid, maybe you need an August month of no new habits😉
Or doing one thing a day that’s a relaxing, guilty pleasure?
Sending big hugs & wishes that things with Delta will turn around FAST. Are you able to work from home the next few months? Do you have an N-95 mask?
Hugs,
Maddie🌸3 -
Hi! @MadisonMolly2017 and @themedalist thank you for bringing this important topic back and providing information regarding sleep.
How do the experts calculate those sleep hours? Is it the time you spend in bed or do you need to use a tracking device to know the amount of minutes you were actually sleeping? I always wondered about this 7-9 hour recommendation. I do know that planning to be in bed for 8-9 hours results in at least 7 hours of sleep whereas planning for 8 hours usually gets me less than 7. Bottom line is I need to be in bed before midnight because I do like early mornings and I feel better when my FitBit says I've slept at least 7 hours. Maybe I need a night owl intervention?!? OR maybe I just need to change some bad habits??!!?! I'm going to listen to a podcast on circadian rhythm today. All of this thinking has been exhausting. I think I feel a nap coming on
@nebslp hahaha re: nap!
Well I fought it.. used the sleep recording etc.
What I learned:
Set bedtime
Turn off ALL screens a full two hours before bedtime. (I’ve tested this… if I’m on phone until 10:30, I have more trouble falling asleep by midnight, so I’m not playing with that anymore haha)
Get into bed with book one hour before
Bedtime. When you start nodding off. Put down book & turn off bedside light. Zzzz
Because I am charging phone & watch downstairs, I can’t tell what time it is, which I think is helping- funnily enough!
One thing that took me a couple of days to realize: the hour or three I lose at night, I get back in earlier & more rested AM.
Also, I am now deciding more consciously how I will use my time during my waking hours so I don’t have the “No, I have more things I want to do feeling that would keep me going.”
🌸
Maddie
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Ahhhh, sleep! I'm struggling because we're only back in the office 2-3 days per week. On those days I get up at 4:20am in order to leave my house by 5:10am and be at work by 6am. The reason that I go in so early is because I'm also a massage therapist and have my own part time massage business in the evenings and on Sat morn. If I go in at 6am, I'm able to leave work at 2:30pm and can get back into town and take my first massage client at 4pm. I used to do it 5 days a week, and my bedtime routine started at about 8:45pm for a 9:30 "lights out". But working from home for the last 16 months, (with nothing to do) I've literally been bringing my laptop to bed with me, rolling over and logging on at 6am, then rolling back over and sleeping until 8am! But currently (for July and August) I'm doing a schedule of BOTH of those scenarios on alternating days!! Talk about hard to adjust!
The most recent update from mgmt is that we are scheduled to go back into the office "full time" beginning Sep 1.
During the 16 months that I've been WFH, hubby retired from his job.... so I'm also very envious of him not having to work. Lol.
I do like the idea of no screens 2 hours before bed, but I don't think I can give up screen-time at 7pm. I'm usually reporting here on all of my MFP groups!! Lol. I just might have to struggle through 1 more month before I can get back to a real "routine" that doesn't change every day.~😃~💗~💪🏼~⭐~👍~🌺~🌞~💪🏼~💛~👩~🎈~👑~🎯~😎~🏆
On the subject of habits and habit stacking: my yoga is coming along nicely. My "norm" is about 15 mins in the mornings now - even on the mornings that I go into the office early!! I'd like to continue that in August and perhaps add a couple more different poses/stretches to my routine (which I now have memorized!) My walking (steps) is also coming along very well, and I'm increasing my steps in August from 10k/day to 12k/day.
I'm also going to add a kettlebell workout for strength training.... and see if I like that better than I do lifting the hand weights (which for some reason I do not enjoy!) I'm just not really sure how to "stack" this habit? Most days, after I've cleaned up the kitchen and the supper dishes, I'll take a 30min walk just up the road and back... perhaps I could do my kettlebell lifting right after I come home from my after dinner walk... Or....???? (Any suggestions welcome!)
Question: Do YOU have an afternoon or evening exercise "routine" with habit stacking? If so, can I ask what is YOUR "routine"? 2 -
@SummerSkier I do the same thing with my bed warmer. Turn it on for about 10 minutes before crawling into bed, then shut it off after a few minutes. Then kick the comforter off and I’m out like a light. I like to be toasty warm but a little heat goes a long way in the summer. It’s unfortunate you can’t go back to working from home until the virus settles down again. It worked for a year so I don’t know why the sudden push to get everyone out there again since this strain is more contagious than the last. Frustrating in so many ways! Stay safe.
@Mrs_Hoffer at first your words came out all over the place so it was hard to read your message. But congrats on keeping up with the yoga practice and great idea to add a new pose or two. Your activity level is awesome especially with your busy work schedule.
One suggestion for better sleep that I heard on The Model Health Show today was to start your day by taking a 20 minute walk outside without sunglasses to get some sun (or light), then spend time outside a couple more times during the day. He also said to do a 12 hour fast and not eat 2-3 hours before going to bed. All very doable ideas.
When my Fitbit compares my sleep to others my age, it says my I am awake considerably less, my deep sleep is longer, and my REM is ridiculously high, but my light sleep time is higher. I feel like I dream constantly and there are actual storylines. It’s crazy! I use my dreams to help solve problems and to better understand my life and relationships. It’s great when I’m not stressed, but sometimes my dreams are really exhausting. Guess that’s when i have things to figure out and I need them the most.
My sleep issue is that I simply don’t want to go to bed. I hate it when the day is over! Sometimes I feel sleepy around 8:00 unless I’m working outside and then get my second wind about 10 when I should be heading to bed. But is there a “should” if it doesn’t matter what time I get up the next day? (Yes, I tend to over analyze everything!)!
This August I WILL set my alarm for 10:30 to remind me it’s close to bedtime. My desire is to get over 7 hours of sleep nightly, and that’s more likely to happen if I go to bed by 11.
BTW… no nap today!
Goodbye July 2021!5 -
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~ 💕 ~🌻~ 💕 ~🌞~ 💕 ~☀️~ 💕 ~🌞~💕~🌻~💕~🌞~💕~☀️~💕~🌞~💕~🌻~💕~🌞~ 💕 ~☀️~ 💕 ~🌞~ 💕 ~🌻~ 💕 ~
~ 💕 ~🌻~ 💕 ~🌞~ 💕 ~☀️~ 💕 ~🌞~💕~🌻~💕~🌞~💕~☀️~💕~🌞~💕~🌻~💕~🌞~ 💕 ~☀️~ 💕 ~🌞~ 💕 ~🌻~ 💕 ~
~Waving Hi~ Wishing You a SUNsational SUNday ~And~ a WONDER-filled Week ahead~
~💕~ May We ALL find August Filled with an ABUNDANCE of LOVE ~💕~ along with LOVEly Memories to pass around ~💕~
I AFFIRM ~ I WILL Succeed.... I got over 7.25 hrs good sleep Last night ... (thanks to Smart Watch for letting me know)
"Remember to be gentle with yourself and others. We are all children of chance and none can say why some fields will blossom
while others lay brown beneath the August sun." ~ ~ ~ Kent Nerburn
~ 💕 ~🌻~ 💕 ~🌞~ 💕 ~☀️~ 💕 ~🌞~💕~🌻~💕~🌞~💕~☀️~💕~🌞~💕~🌻~💕~🌞~ 💕 ~☀️~ 💕 ~🌞~ 💕 ~🌻~ 💕 ~
.3 -
Great habit, I'm going to work on my sleep - I really need to. More tomorrow
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Now yall do NOT laugh but when I consider adding tiny habits I always want to make sure they are ones which I would like to continue indefinitely. So one thing which helps me to cope with stress is taking care of my animals.
For August I will I plan to comb/brush each of my animals daily for 30 strokes min. I can't tell you how relaxing it is when you just pause and take a min to treat your pet to a brush or comb. I have 4 cats and a horse. I think I can do this. LOL.
Aug 1. Lil Bit - check, The Dude - check, Valentino - check, Hai Hai - check. Bandit - to be done later at the barn.
Each day I will post a photo of one of my pets.
PS - I did send an email request in to work today asking to work remotely while Delta is spiking here locally. Worst case they say no but at least I had the guts to ask... it was not easy.
can you find teenybonandbanditinthephoto?
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I am so happy to see Maddie’s suggestion to focus on sleep this month! Count me in! My sleep has gotten better since we did the Summer of Sleep challenge several years ago, but it’s still not consistent. I still stay up too late & too often. And I always pay for it the next day.
Setting a consistent bedtime is for me the key. So I am going to focus on being in bed between 10 and 10:30 PM. Gives me some wind down time before I fall asleep.
I’m looking forward to making this a focus area in August. It certainly deserves to be!
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~💕~⛵️~💕~🚣🏼♀️~💕~⛵️~💕~ 🚣🏼♀️ ~ 💕 ~⛵️~💕~ 🚣🏼♀️ ~💕~ ⛵️ ~💕 ~ 🚣🏼♀️ ~ 💕 ~⛵️~💕~ 🚣🏼♀️ ~💕~⛵️~💕 ~🚣🏼♀️~💕~⛵️~💕~
~Welcome to Today~
~BLESSings~ALLways~
~💕~⛵️~💕~🚣🏼♀️~💕~⛵️~💕~ 🚣🏼♀️ ~ 💕 ~⛵️~💕~ 🚣🏼♀️ ~💕~ ⛵️ ~💕 ~ 🚣🏼♀️ ~ 💕 ~⛵️~💕~ 🚣🏼♀️ ~💕~⛵️~💕 ~🚣🏼♀️~💕~⛵️~💕~
~Waving Hi~ And ~Wishing You a Most MARVElous Monday And a WONDERfilled Week~
WELCOME to a New Day ~And~ Week Filled with SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Many MARVELous WONDERfull Possibilities
I AFFIRM..... I WILL Stay focused on Healthy Habits..... Last night had broken Sleep.... 7hrs 46 m. total
"One can remain eternally young if ..... Each day, one grows rich by marvelous moments." ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~Romy Schneider~ ~ ~ ~
~💕~⛵️~💕~🚣🏼♀️~💕~⛵️~💕~ 🚣🏼♀️ ~ 💕 ~⛵️~💕~ 🚣🏼♀️ ~💕~ ⛵️ ~💕 ~ 🚣🏼♀️ ~ 💕 ~⛵️~💕~ 🚣🏼♀️ ~💕~⛵️~💕 ~🚣🏼♀️~💕~⛵️~💕~
.2 -
Aug 1 TY @Summerskier & @nebslp for being warm Technique for sleep
Worked like a dream 1) fell asleep instantly😆😆2) ditto free mid-night bathroom break & 3) allowed me to sleep another hour in AM (awoke too early)
8 hours💖 which is great as I have a big presentation today!!!!
Thank you!
🌸Maddie
PS I’m glad so many of you found this of interest/use.
Much more Fun to Do It all together!
Thank you to Denise for her hours of work creating the post several years ago💕2 -
Maddie, happy to hear the bed warming worked. It was surprising to me as my AC usually runs all night here in the summer so I never thought of turning on the e blanket before getting into bed.
Aug 1. Lil Bit - check, The Dude - check, Valentino - check, Hai Hai - check. Bandit - check. Success Day 1. 
PS - I did send an email request in to work today asking to work remotely while Delta is spiking here locally. Worst case they say no but at least I had the guts to ask... it was not easy.
Aug 2, The Dude - check, Valentino - check... working on the rest.
As far as WFH I did not get an answer back yesterday or this morning so I assumed I had to go in. Then my boss came over and acted surprised to see me. We have a ton of people self quarintining or sick right now so I left. hahah. Hopefully the official email from the general manager will come out soon, because it's REALLy getting bad here. Vaxxed or not. And its RAINING again. Here is a shot I took yesterday of the storm slipping to the East of the barn.
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I’m focusing on sleep, and to accomplish that I’m going to be off screens by 9 pm. I usually read on my kindle in the evening, but I’m going to try doing my journaling later instead. It’s a better time to journal and reflect on the day, but I’m a little concerned that I will undermine that habit - still, if I don’t try I’ll never know. I can do my yoga and meditation by listening instead of watching the video.
Aug 1 screens off by 8:30. Fitbit says 8:27 minutes of sleep (and it was hot in my bedroom). 😴 ⭐️4 -
@SummerSkier
I’m so relieved you are HOME!!!2
