I saw a beautiful graphic that talked about real riches.
It went something like this:
Good quality sleep
The ability to have slow mornings
The chance to enjoy a coffee in silence
Home-cooked meals with your family
A garden…
My initial reaction was “does this person even go to work?!!”
Then I remembered how much my dumbphone stole from my weekly time (TOO MUCH). And I realized that as long as I minimized my phone use, I could have TWO of those riches, namely:
great sleep (both quantity and quality)
AND
slow mornings (because I will have slept well and joined the 5 am club).
Huh. Isn’t that interesting?
Now that I’m on sabbatical, I have the rare opportunity to sleep regularly. But it’s been many years now that I’ve been exploring ways to improve my sleep as a shift worker.
Recently, I bought a simple bedside alarm clock that has the option to emit Level 1 light to Level 6. I can turn off the numbers completely (but the alarm will still function). That, plus the blackout curtains, gives me the requisite cave-like darkness I now know I need.
Then I moved my smartphone out of the bedroom. Because, weird fact, I wake up once per night at 2:30 am. No phone in reach means NO TEMPTATIONS!
I also bought a contour pillow that exactly supports my neck in neutral while I sleep on my back. At first, it felt like a head prison. But now I wake up neck pain-free and I’m never going back!
Most recently, I invested in a high-quality silk pillowcase. The pillowcase was such a luxurious purchase, and part of me felt I didn’t deserve it or that it was too much of a hype.
But, you know what?
I quite enjoy the silk!
It feels cool against my skin.
I don’t have as many knots in my hair in the morning.
And it looks so pretty to have a row of chubby pillows on my bed. Hotel vibe accomplished!
A few years back, I invested in the warmest duvet I could find on the market.
And last year, I switched to winter sheets made of cashmere. I didn’t think the switch would make a difference, but since I’m a cold sleeper and a blanket kicker, the combination was outstanding!
My sleep has felt so restorative these past three months. I don’t even experience the mid-afternoon slump or crave a nap.
Now if only I can do something about my cold toes…
Question: “does giving up some screen time seem like too much to pay for great sleep and the ability to have a slow morning? It was worth it to me, but what will you choose?”
