A Girl Needs Her Beauty Sleep

I established this crazy sleep pattern in college that has continued into my thirties:  I get as much done as I can during the week...even staying up "past my bedtime" on weeknights to read or catch up on DVR or whatever.  Then, on glorious Saturday mornings, I sleep until I wake up, which can be as early as 10 or as late as 1, depending on what my previous week has looked like.  It has generated some discussion among friends, family members, coworkers, etc., who all have opinions on how I choose to spend my time.

The fact of the matter is that I respect most of these opinions without agreeing with them...a perfectly healthy option!  This has been a huge lesson for me:  that I do not have to feel guilt or shame about my choices, even when someone else makes a different choice that comes with fabulous results.  The beauty of our making choices is not only the empowerment of taking care of ourselves, but also the celebration of the successes of others.

But I digress...

I am in the middle of a sleep lull, and it is affecting several different aspects of my life.  My title was written in jest, but the truth is that I do need beauty sleep:  I need to rest in order to take care of my mental and emotional health...and this greatly affects my inner beauty.  (On a side note, I am becoming more aware of the physical effects of sleep deprivation.)

One of the most overwhelming lack-of-sleep obstacles has been how I make choices.   I wrote about it in an earlier post, and I am echoing - and confirming - my thoughts:  I hate making choices when I am tired.  I read a summary on cnn.com of a study about the relationship between sleep deprivation and depression in teenagers.  There is a high correlation between the two:  Thirty percent of teenagers below the recommended average of hours of sleep per night show strong symptoms of depression.   Thirty-two percent showed symptoms of depression.  Let me restate:  That is nearly two-thirds of those studied who demonstrated symptoms of depression when lacking sleep.  That is a huge relationship, even though the degrees of depression differ. 

A quick trip over to WebMD gave me a list of symptoms of depression: 

• difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions

• fatigue and decreased energy

• feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness

• feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism

• insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping

• irritability, restlessness

• loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex

• overeating or appetite loss

• persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment

• persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings

• thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts

Even when considering one of these symptoms, I am overwhelmed with the obstacles that exist to block our path to health.  The mental strength and focus necessary to pursue taking care of oneself can seem so unattainable on a good day, but on a sleepy day, that same fortitude can seem impossibly beyond reach...a cycle that once began can take even more willpower to break.  The link between depression and lack of sleep appears even more daunting...


So I choose to sleep.  I know I'm not a princess, nor do I want to be...but I long to be healthy.  And a healthy girl needs her beauty sleep, too!