There’s a very famous quote I have stuck to the wall of my laundry room/cellar /study/ place I like to hide when my kids are practising their wrestling moves on each other, and it goes like this: ‘Those who make the best use of their time have none to spare.’ Deep huh? In a bid to balance my time and the one hundred and one million things that are involved in: raising two well adjusted children (?!), writing, writing and writing some more, keeping the house clean-ish and toning a body that would make J-Lo physically sick with jealousy, I have recently been trying to reduce the amount of time I sleep. Leading up to the half marathon, even I was sensible enough to realise that I needed 8 hours a night, but for the past fortnight I have reduced my sleeping hours to 6.
I was referred to a new fancy method by a reputable website. According to this website, the method was advanced, 100% guaranteed and would leave you feeling as refreshed after 6 hours sleep as you would after 12. Excited and keen to start a whole new chapter of my life (which would have been entitled ‘Super- Mum,’) I read the instructions. And here they are: for three weeks, don’t go to bed until 12 o’clock. Get up at 6 every morning (if you’re a regular reader, you will already KNOW my feelings on rising before 7!) You’ll be tired for a bit but your body will adjust after three weeks. Life changing! I know!
Because I’m a sucker who believes everything she’s told, I have followed the program for 2 weeks. Then last night I was hit by the mother of all headaches and slept from 7 o’clock in the evening until 7 o’clock this morning. Perhaps the reason I feel as refreshed as though I’ve had 12 hours sleep is due to the fact that, last night, I actually slept for 12 hours! What a revelation! Who knew?
My non-running friends often ask how I find the time to run. I know that lots of runners get up really early in the morning to run, others go during their lunch breaks, some, like me, wait until night time- when it’s dark enough that no-one can recognise my spandex clad arse. Before I started running, I had no time to spare. I felt like every minute was spent doing something (even if it was just watching old re-runs of Friends on E4). I still don’t feel like I have any time to spare because I am always busy doing something… and running has joined the list of things I just do. Judging by last nights headache induced coma, perhaps sleeping should be added back to the list!
Thoughtful times x
I am a firm believer that sleep, diet and exercise (in tht order) are the most important things - everything else falls into place if those three things can be counted upon.
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