Busy.
It's a word we can all relate to. Our lives are full. To the brim. And most of the time overflowing. How many times have you thought or said something similar to "There aren't enough hours in the day."? We have more to do than we have time for, so we steal from our sleep and let our bodies suffer for it.
You know what's scariest about sacrificing the important things in life? We often don't notice that we are doing it, but eventually it always catches up to us. Like having a slow leak in your tire that you continue to drive your car on, one day it's flat and the entire vehicle is useless until you change it.
You know what's hopeful if you are sacrificing the important things in life? You can change that. Today. You and only you.
Every day, you wake up to a new 24 hours full of choices. You may not look at it this way. You may think that you don't have a choice. You have to go to work. You have to take care of your kids. You have to make it to the appointments. You have to meet the deadlines. You have to keep these people happy. You have to live up to those people's expectations. But in all of that, you have choices. You have agency. In many ways it's up to you what your life looks like.
And it all starts with sleep.

When God created the world and spoke it into being, the first thing He did was to separate the day from the night. There is a unshakeable rhythm to the universe, and our bodies are designed to live according to it. Literally, we have processes in our body that lead us to sleep. It's God's Will from the very beginning.
Why? Because it's during sleep that the brain recharges and resets the systems of our body. It loads updates and processes activities. It lets go of information that we don't need and downloads important data that will help us the next day. Sleep doesn't shut everything down. It rests and fine tunes everything so that we wake up with a new opportunity to live effectively.
Of all the things that contribute to a successful day, sleep is the catalyst. Yet, we often choose to forego it to complete one more task, watch one more show, read one more chapter, have one more conversation, solve one more problem. Raising my hand over here. I daily fight the temptation to sacrifice sleep.
But if I've learned anything in my journey to freedom, I've learned that it all begins with sleep. Sleep is crucial to actually living life. And when we don't prioritize sleep, we end up with some pretty big problems. Ask the woman who feels like a zombie during the day...just surviving to get to the end of it. Ask the man who can't sleep at night after years of teaching his brain that it's prime work time. Ask the new mom who is on the baby's schedule temporarily and is leaving her car keys in the refrigerator. Ask the truck driver who just fell asleep on the highway and almost overturned his cargo.
When sleep is a priority in our lives, we have more energy. We aren't as moody. We think faster and deeper. Our attention span is lengthened. We remember things. Our bodies are overall healthier. Oh, and we get things done better and quicker.
You are actually more effective with enough sleep than you are sacrificing it to finish something. As a matter of fact, I'd be willing to guarantee that you will do better on that test tomorrow with 8 hours of good sleep than you will staying up all night to cram.
Are you ready to move sleep to the top of your to-do list? It will change your life. And I've got your first step...
Create a bedtime routine. Do the same things every night before bed. Here are some ideas for that routine. Put everything away that reminds you of work. Straighten and prepare your sleep space. Put your phone up. Watch the sunset. Close the curtains. Dim the lights. Brush your teeth. Change your clothes. Play some soft music or turn on a diffuser. Try stretching or deep breathing. Get some fresh air and look at the moon. Drink something soothing and caffeine free. Read some light fiction. Pray. Journal. If you choose TV, watch something that doesn't spike your adrenaline.
Give your body and brain a chance to wind down slowly...like the sunset. Deep restful sleep must be invited. It rebels against demands.
When you practice your unique routine night after night, it begins to act as a signal to your brain that it's time to move your body into the sleep processes. Soon your body automatically moves you into this routine.
"But I have kids..." Teach them to do the routine with you. If they learn to prioritize sleep now, from you, it will change their adult lives.
"But I've got stuff to finish..." You always will. Always. And there will be tomorrow. If you get good sleep, you might just finish it better than you would tonight.
"But I don't have trouble going to sleep..." Remember that slow leak. You can plug it while your tire is still full of air. Prioritize sleep before it becomes an issue in your life.
"But my brain won't turn off..." It might not when you first start a bedtime routine. Neuropathways don't develop in one day, and they won't be changed in one night. Give it some time. Each night that you stick to your routine, you are firing up those neurons and eventually they will wire together.
There will always be excuses, just like there will always be "busy". The key is to remember why you are prioritizing sleep. Because life is so much better when you sleep.
I have so many more things to share with you about the resource of sleep in my "Resource Your Health, Change Your Life" course. I would love for you to check it out and start building your better tomorrow.
Leaving you with my favorite verse in the Bible about sleep:
"It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for He gives His beloved sleep." Psalm 127:2
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