Ah...pillow.

Sleep. As a child I never wanted to sleep.  My mom has told me that I refused to take naps (Once I hit college, I learned that naps were the greatest gift to man). I envied my older sister who could have sleepovers and stay up late with her friends. Finally, I made it to third grade and had my first sleepover. Of course, I always wanted more and wanted to be older like my sister. My sister soon was able to drive and stay out late with her friends. I wanted that freedom; I never wanted to go to bed.  Hah! Little did I know that I would soon wish I could have the privilege of having an 8PM bedtime and getting eight or more uninterrupted hours of sleep regularly.  Some of you, who know me, are probably thinking, "What is interrupting her sleep; she doesn't have kids."  Well, I might not have kids, but I have pets, a job, have household chores, and just regular adult-type stuff to do.  Oh, how I wish my head could rest on my pillow for a couple of more hours, especially on Monday mornings. Ah...

So, you might be wondering why I'm writing about sleep when this blog is supposed to be about fitness, fashion, and yummy veggie meals. Well, sleep is very important in order to help you stay physically and mentally fit.  Lack of sleep can cause you to be more prone to physical illness (WebMD).  Personally, I tend to catch a cold more easily when I haven't gotten enough sleep and have been stressed over several days.  Also, when people stay up longer, they tend to snack on foods that aren't very healthy.  If they stay up late and snack on unhealthy foods often, they might find they gain weight.  

I was recently listening to Eric and Kathy  on Chicago's 101.9 The Mix WTMX (Eric and Kathy), and they discussed how most people can get eight hours of sleep if they really want to and are more organized/procrastinate less.  Some people really can't get eight hours due to crazy job hours or babies that cry at all hours, etc., but some of us just choose to stay up later or get up earlier too in order to cram more things into the day.

In order to be mentally and physically better, try to get tasks done ahead of time when you can, take turns getting up with your loved one when your baby cries, DVR shows that are on later, turn off your computer and TV earlier (Staring at a bright screen before bedtime can cause difficulty falling asleep right away in bed), and exercise a couple of hours or more before bedtime (Exercise also will help you sleep better and more sound, but too close to bedtime and it will stimulate your heart, brain, muscles, and will raise your body temperature).

So, it's time all of us get some more sleep and relax. Night!