Good morning superpower seekers!
I awoke today excited to share some super sleep knowledge with you. Sleep knowledge to help you fight off the villains like the Sleeping Bandit, who hopes you feel like you have no control over your sleep habits! If you have no control, you will need his big pharma products to induce sleep.
If you believe you sleep the way you do and that’s that, you’re wrong! Don’t let the Sleep Bandit get rich off of your assumption of yourself.
Let’s learn to maximize!
Funny story, I’ve been struggling with my sleep lately. It’s true. Since the pandemic shutdown, I have not traveled much. We all might not have traveled as much. Early in 2022, I took two trips that really knocked me off my game. The first was from North Carolina, my home, to Las Vegas Market. There’s a three-hour time difference between the two destinations.
The second trip was two weeks later from North Carolina to Phoenix Arizona for PrimeTime 2022 put on by Nationwide Marketing Group. Both events are large national events and play a vital role in us being the experts in our industry. We meet the teams, see the brands, shop the products and find the best solutions for our customers’ needs.
And when we got back home after these two trips, I was wrecked! I made game plans for weeks with no progress to reset my sleep schedule.
While I was away on the trips, I drank coffee and energy drinks in the afternoons because staying up until 10 p.m. in Vegas is like going to bed at 1 a.m. my local time.
I was on the struggle bus! Back at home, I drank coffee on the daily, and unsweet tea in the afternoon or the occasional soda. I had grown numb to the effects of caffeine quickly. It seemed like I would never get back to my old routines.
Then came Lent! The Catholic tradition of giving something up starts Ash Wednesday and runs through Easter. Last year I gave up caffeine for Lent and I repeated my sacrifice this year. And added one more to the list. Alcohol! Dude.
Long story short, the Caffeine Chameleon had once again pulled the veil over my eyes. Just like last year, the first few days were miserable. I had a headache and walked around in a sour mood. When I got home from work, I would nap for an hour just to recoup. I felt drained. Day five rolled around and suddenly my stamina kept me up in the afternoon. And by 9:30 p.m., I was ready for bed!
It’s been a few weeks now and I feel phenomenal! My life is returning to what I thought should be normal. My daily habit of caffeine and the weekend warrior habits of alcohol kept me from truly restful sleep.
I’ve made the comment a few times that talking about the effect of alcohol on sleep is a whole episode in itself. I hold true to that statement and will one day break it down. Until then, know that drinking alcohol in the evening before bed may help you fall asleep, but it does not allow you to sleep deeply. Alcohol and caffeine have opposite effects on our bodies with the same negative side effects on our nightly functions.
So here I am, a Sleep Superhero who can’t even stand up to a villain like the Caffeine Chameleon. I feel a little embarrassed that I fell for his trap. And very proud that I freed myself from it. For so long, I’ve preached about bedtime habits and planning out your sleep routine.
But making a plan alone is not enough. Do not expect different results from the same situation. I had to alter my behavior in order to right the ship.
I will say that reflecting on the first three months of this year, I did not do all the things I wanted to get done. My professional progress slowed. Relationships struggled. I wasn’t my normal happy-go-lucky self and several of my co-workers could tell.
Now on the other side, getting much better and more regular sleep, it’s different. That’s the way I want life to be. I want to live on the balls of my feet, ready for action! Not on my heels reacting to situations and those situations dictating my next move.
So take that Caffeine Chameleon! I can see your ugly face once again! You may find a way to disappear in the future but I’m learning how to fight back each time you do.
I refuse to lose sleep cycles forever. My sleep cycles are the currency my body and brain are paid for peak performance and I intend to meet the demand. The challenges I face are easier to overcome with a good night’s sleep and my superpowers ready for action!
