on getting more sleep and getting more energy.

Okay so, I have an amazing husband who thinks I'm super woman. He tells me this and I laugh. I tell him he's crazy and that I'm crafty in some way, for having him fooled these 19 years we've known each other. I'm not super. At all. I'm sure I'm pretty average. But I think its nice he thinks I'm super. It works well for both of us.
Its hard to think of yourself as super when we know the deep, inward struggles we have.
I know the areas that are slipping by the wayside and need attention.

I've been struggling lately. I wasn't sure with what exactly, but I knew I was struggling.
We always know, right ladies?
For me I felt mentally disorganized, always a few steps behind, never prepared and at the end of the day, in a frazzled state of panic and exhaustion. I tried to remedy the problem.

- Maybe I need more time reading my Bible. Always a good thing, for sure, but I realized quickly that wasn't it.
- Maybe I need to text people less during the day, to stay on track. Again, always a good thing, but I didn't really notice a change. And, I don't text during the day all that much anyway.
- I should make a chore chart for myself! I can assign the big chores Mom needs to do and give myself certain days to do them on. Again, nice idea, but it wasn't the problem.

I tried a few other things that definitely helped, but nothing was really working.
So I decided before really tackling it, I would just give it a lot of prayer and see what God showed me.
And boy, did He show me fast. I think before I finished my first prayer, He brought to my attention one fact: "your sleep schedule is SO messed up, its creating total chaos in your day time schedule."

DING

If I'm honest {and I like being honest} I already knew this was true. I was just avoiding dealing with it. You know, hiding the truth from myself, hoping no one else caught on? Yeah. I do that.

After our kids go to bed, Jason and I love to be together. We don't even crave regular date nights away from the home. I've never been a fan of movie theaters - would much rather stay in and watch in my pj's and a blanket. Yes, I am a 92 year old woman.
We just like spending that quiet, alone time together. Miles stays up the latest and so for an hour or more we get time alone with him, which is fabulous.
What happens though, is that we stay up too late. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that some weeks, 2AM is a regular bedtime for us. And yes, we know its crazy. Especially when your nursing babe gets you up at 5AM. Its just plain crazy and I had nights where I felt like our parents needed to call us and tell us to go to bed. Remember those days?

Fast forward a few weeks and even though its not perfectly early every single night, its been getting a lot better and boy, have I been feeling the change!
First of all, I can work out when I've actually rested.
I can have energy for home schooling
proper training and discipline throughout the day
having my brain be ready and organized for... everything
and every day tasks don't feel like a huge mountain I can't climb.

Who would've thought that a full night's sleep really does do a body good?!
I even eat better when I'm not sleep deprived. {don't worry, I'm saying this all tongue in cheek - I know these things have been scientifically proven.}

I drank some coffee today. Just some. I think I ordered a 12 ounce mocha at my favorite place in Seattle and drank, probably 3/4 of it. Lately I've had my Americano in the morning and by 1pm I feel like I need 3 more to get me through the day. I don't drink more because I'm worried that much coffee isn't good for me, but I definitely go throughout the day dreaming I could have just one more.
I don't think I'm the only person with this problem. I believe its kind of an epidemic these days.
We're surrounded by sleep meds, energy drinks, energy shots and more, all so we can keep running, but sleep less.
I find myself with way more energy, a happier mood, the every day stuff isn't overwhelming me and I've even been able to tackle some of those things I always put on the back burner and never get to, until its SO the last minute, its ridiculous.

I still have a baby who normally wakes up once or twice in the night. I don't suddenly bounce out of bed with bursting energy in the morning, but the days and evenings are so much better. My outlook on life is so much better.
My time with God is so much sweeter.
My temper with my kids doesn't flare up at the tip of the littlest thing happening.

My next goal is to get better with making full meals on the table to for dinner each night, at the same time every night. I refuse to do take-out more than once a week, I refuse to eat boxed food, and I cannot stand having dinner at bedtime. So that needs to change this week. And usually when I post things for all of you to see, it helps keep me motivated :)

I'm so thankful that even in these small trials, God meets us where we are and instead of making me feel like a total failure, He helps me. The Holy Spirit gives those nudges through my day and convicts me of the things I already know to be true.
I'm praying this week that God will reveal even those hidden things I don't know or see. The things that get in the way, but have a way of hiding themselves or disguising themselves as "productive" or "helpful".







Comments

Liz said…
Oh, I can totally relate to this! I love to stay up late with Jeff too. When the kids wake me up, I get really anxious too. Amelia is sleeping through the night now. But she is an early riser... so I have to get to bed early or I'm a mess ;)
Erin said…
Sleep makes all the difference in the world for me, too. Funny, right?

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