I have gave the sleep energy tracker app, Rise, a try, and have found it insightful into my energy patterns. The app lists my energy peaks and dips throughout the day, depending on when I go to bed and when I wake up. I can compare what these graphs show and how I feel, and I find it interesting how it shifts depending on the amount and quality of sleep I get the days before. The app makes the argument that you can catch up on sleep (though I have read in other places this is not possible). So it encourages me to go to bed a bit earlier for a few days here or there to catch up, or to catch a quick cat nap in my afternoon lulls.
Instead of fighting my tired times in the early afternoon (that “afternoon slump” we all are familiar with), I see them as times now to get mundane and simpler tasks done, like packing lunches, putting away laundry, and answering simple emails. I admit now that those times are not the ideal time for a creative process or a process that takes a lot of brain power. And when I get a chance, I take the app’s suggestion and try to do a short burst of exercise like a brisk walk or (if I be so lucky that the stars align!) a short nap.
As I am getting older, I see the value of being more in tune with my body and its energy tank. The energy tank is not infinite, sad but true, and getting older I think this gets more and more apparent. I have tried often (particularly when I was in a younger, more spry state of mind) to push through my tired spells. But in the long run, working or pushing while tired often yields less quality results for me. And I just feel crabbier and unhappy.
I think the hardest thing to accept is that I do need more sleep than I grant myself. This is something I am working on improving. In an ideal situation, I think I would go to bed when my kids go to bed. But there are always more tasks and chores (and good books to read) left on my to do list that I try to squeeze in. I need to learn to accept that it is okay to leave things undone, and give in to my body’s melatonin window and let sleep overtake me.
I can see my “sleep debt” in the app that is the sleep I am behind on. It is almost always (sadly) negative, except when I was on a nice, restful vacation. (I guess there is hope someday when I retire!) I can see how that affects my mood and my mental energies, and it gives me motivation to squeeze in my tasks and “to do” list items in the dead spaces in my schedule earlier in the day, particularly when I have my peak energy.
My goal in the next few weeks and months is to see my sleep debt (hopefully) stay lower, and see how my energy and productivity and efficiency increase. In addition, I hope to see my mood in interacting with my friends and family improving. Sleep is the wonder drug. It is free, but often overlooked. I hope to really harness its power in the coming weeks and months in my quest to be a better steward for my time and energy each and every day.