The Sacred Act of Sleeping

How vital is sleep for our health? I relish getting a good night's sleep. Without it, I'm a total ineffective zombie. I get irritable more easily throughout the day. I snap at others when they've done nothing that warrants my snapping trajectory. I eat weird things that aren't in my normal daily fare. I get a zit or two, which Greg says is a good thing--means I'm still a youngster, ha!

Then there's the comedic act of Wizard sleeping, or any dog. Canines take resting and napping to a whole 'nother level. I mean, they are upside down, they are snoring and twitching during sleep, they are balled up, they spoon with us, and their ears flop every which way. We humans have similarities with our beloved pups.

We do funny things when we sleep.

We lie on our sides with our knees parallel to our shoulders. We lie on our backs and snore and twitch, too! We sleep on our stomachs, which creates all sorts of digestive and back problems. We hang our heads off the bed when we're dreaming and are unaware of the cramp this position can cause for days. If partnered up, we get all tangled up. If solo, we fart, we make odd noises with our mouths, we sleepwalk. Heck, we can do all these acts of weirdness when we're partnered up, too! Or even when sleeping with a pup in the bed, you name it and we do it.

Such a sacred act, sleeping is and always has been. The 'recommended' hours each night vary from 8 to 9 or 6 to 8, depending on age, overwhelmedness, or catching up when our precious zzz's are lacking. Some lucky souls manage almost 10 hours each night and either they don't have young children, they don't have a boisterous pup who jumps on the bed and licks their faces to get up and play, or they have a super hangover and can't muster up the energy to wake up. Better to sleep it off.

Have you ever seen a person who gets regular, quality sleep? Their faces look amazing. They are well-rested, have smooth glowing skin, energy up the wazoo, and have no irritability to speak of. I am in awe of those people. They are my kind of people. But then again, I like the flip side of the coin with sleep-deprived folks because it shows they are relatable and fully present for every moment of every day, including all the bad stuff and all the challenges with a sleepless night.

Every season has a reason when it comes to sleep. Summer has longer days so our ability to hit the sack doesn't happen until late into the evening. Who wants to go to bed when it's fully light out and a sunset is missed, even though it's around 9 p.m.? I know for me, shutting the blinds and curtains when the sky is on fire with beautiful colors seems almost sacrilegious. Winter has shorter days and chillier days, so crawling under blankets after a hot bath and a warm, healthy meal is genuinely sacred in its own right.

Then the transition seasons of Autumn and Spring require setting the clocks forward and back, depending on where you live, and if you practice that age-old type of strange government-requisite. We tend to lose an hour, gain an hour, and feel confused for about a week before we fall back into a rhythm of proper sleeping hours and habits. It is too much to think about, worry about, and feel pressured about.

The mere act of sleeping needs to be treasured. How else can we recover from illness or injury? How else can we act, feel, and speak our best when sleep-deprived? How else would we be able to manage the demands of a productive work day where we show up and are proper humans doing proper things and making lots of well-deserved money? These are questions to ponder when the idea of sleep comes rolling in and wants our undivided attention, something we are brushing off and trying to get by on limited hours of closing our eyes for much-needed rest.

Taking a nap with your pup, I believe, is one of the most sacred parts of an afternoon. Transferring calm energy to their bodies is a gift that keeps on giving. You can sense how much the LOVE shared is ongoing and beneficial, especially if your pup's muzzle smells like maple syrup or a perfect blend of earth and jasmine. That's what Wizard's face and fur are like for me. We nap together often, me lying on my side on his little head lying on his side. It's the sweetest.

With all that's going on in the outside world--whether positive or negative--the act of sleeping well and making time for sleep are the two must-haves to restore our inner world. If your mindset is pure and intentional for a quality sleep then all else falls into place, and if things line up then resting lines up.

I could harp on this all day, but my sincere heartfelt intention is to offer up the rewards of how sleep is to be revered and honored. No matter where you are, what you do, or who you do it with, promise me you'll carve out hours of sleep. It will be the difference between looking and feeling on top of your game, or sulking into a corner and 'going dark', as it were.

Wizard and I are off for a nap. Greg might join in or want to nap solo and not be disturbed by the energetic enzymes of his woman and dog. I respect that. I feel the same. I love to sleep alone as it allows my body and cellular structure to love the next day. Too much touching of another person during sleep and I'm not good. Funny, I would have a different tune in my 20s, 30s, and 40s, since the whole generation of 'we have to sleep together to be a couple' evolved. Not us.

We are better off sleeping as we do, where we are, and when we do. Waking up to hug, to kiss, to love, and to communicate--it's EVERYTHING. There's probably some sacred passage from times gone by that mentions sleep and how vital it is for LIFE, yet for now, I'll close off with a proper snore of 'thank you thank you thank you.' Love your people, love your animals, and love your sleeping moments.