Thursday, February 23, 2012

Living the hectic lives we do, there are times when we don’t get enough sleep.  For me, this is a given.  While in college, I managed a mere 2-4 hours of sleep per night, as I attempted to maintain a top GPA, work a six-day-a-week full-time job, put a roof over my head and food on my table.  Though I was generally exhausted, I was also energized by all I was able to get done, that and the understanding that I could stockpile sleep on my one day off per week when I’d sleep eight to ten hours at a stretch.

Specialists have long cited that it’s impossible for a person to stockpile sleep.  That doing so simply throws off their system and doesn’t replenish that which they’ve been lacking.  I disagree.  As mentioned above, not only did stockpiling get me through my insanely busy schedule while in college, but clinging to the knowledge of my upcoming stockpiling is what allowed me to mentally remain strong.  Since then, I have continued to incorporate my stockpiling method of getting enough sleep.  Doing so helped me single-handedly raise four children while my husband was always traveling for work.  Ask any single parent and they’ll tell you that there are simply not enough hours in the day. 

Now, I’m not saying that my sleep stockpiling is the healthiest, but it sure beats the alternative—not getting enough sleep.  I’m curious about how others mitigate their sleep deprivation.  Do they stockpile when able as I do.  Sneak catnaps throughout the day.  Take a lengthy snooze each day.  I’m interested to learn how others juggle all they must get done while managing to give their bodies what it needs—occasional sleep.