If you lose snooze, you lose.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web site says:

“Sleep is increasingly recognized as important to public health, with sleep insufficiency linked to motor vehicle crashes, industrial disasters, and medical and other occupational errors. Unintentionally falling asleep, nodding off while driving, and having difficulty performing daily tasks because of sleepiness all may contribute to these hazardous outcomes. Persons experiencing sleep insufficiency are also more likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, depression, and obesity, as well as from cancer, increased mortality, and reduced quality of life and productivity.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), calls  lack of sleep in the United States an “epidemic.” They say that it affects about two-thirds (63%) of American adults. 

Perhaps it’s time to learn how to get sufficient sleep.  Here are my 7 original ways to soak up sufficient sleep.

1) Give yourself permission to snooze.  The old saying, “If you snooze, you lose,” is a lie. The CDC has proven that daily getting enough snoozing is vital to your physical & mental health.

2) Schedule your snoozing!  In this busy society we schedule everything else, why not schedule sleep?  CDC says that adults need 7 to 9 hours daily so get it on your calendar.

3) Make sleeping fun.  Too many people see sleeping as drudgery — as a boring waste of time. But it doesn’t have to be.  Rather than being board in bed, use your mind to calmly entertain yourself by reliving peaceful, meaningful experiences from your life.  Your mind can be more entertaining than a iPhone, if you make the effort to learn to use your brain’s peace releasing apps.

4) Fake out falling-asleep frustration.  One of the problems with getting enough sleep is that we get frustrated while trying to fall asleep and this induces insomnia. So here’s how I fake out my sleep frustration.  I read somewhere that lying still in bed is 90% as restful as sleep. Now I can’t prove that statement is true, but continually reminding myself of it while I am in bed waiting to fall asleep, produces peace in me.  I tell myself:  “Hey, it’s no big deal that I’m not asleep yet, I’m still getting 90% of the value of sleep by just lying here and enjoying some of my minds peace producing apps.”

5) Just say “whoa” to afternoon and evening caffeine.  That simple behavior change, alone, will increase your sleepiness by bedtime.

6) While in bed, use affirmations to download joy-producing, positive, & peaceful ideas into your mind.  When my head hits the pillow I begin to run positive affirmations through my mind.  (My favorite five are:  “I am peaceful,” “I am content,” “I am thankful,” “I am healthy,” “I am extremely happy.”)  Pick a few of your own, and think them over and over. Soon the routine will put you to sleep.  And you will wake up on the morrow feeling better on the inside.

7) Get rid of guilt!  Benjamin Franklin said:  If you want to have a good sleep, go to bed with your clear conscience.” To rid yourself of guilt: ask and receive forgiveness from God.  (It also helps to ask people we may have offended for forgiveness.) And then daily do your best to avoid guilt producing behaviors.  (Then, every time you slip into a guilt indulging behavior, ask God’s forgiveness.)  Also forgive others.

Peace! Enjoy your snoozing.