August: Sleep

Remember that confession I wrote at the beginning of the year that I have been confessing each day during this pursuit of health?  Through consistently asking God for help according to His word, I have recently felt convicted about one particular phrase: "Help me not to labor in vain." The combination of that confession along with Psalm 127:2 inspired this habit for August.

Psalm 127: 2 says, "It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat, for God gives rest to His loved ones.

You see I like to do stuff.  I like to be busy.  And I have a lot to do.  New part time job to prepare for.  New house to work on.  Old house to pack.  Baby to care for.  House to keep.  Mouths to feed.  Clothes to clean.  Blog post to write.  New blog to design.  Book to edit.

And I recently realized that I am addicted to "doing."  This week I have been going to bed past 11:00 PM and getting up by 5:00 AM, all the while still often getting up in the middle of the night with my sweet Eden.  I am a dangerous combination of a morning person AND a busy body means I get up early to begin my tasks and stay up as late as I need to finish everything for the day.  One day this week by 5:15 AM I had chicken cooking in the oven, rice cooking on the stove, beans soaking, baby food steaming, and clothes washing and diapers drying.  I have been guilty of burning the candle at both ends which results in a lack of sleep which results in a lack of health.

What is shocking is that I do not have much to show for all of my labor during this past week.  I do not really know what I have been doing all day.  Thinking.  Planning.  Making calendars.  Pinning cool paint colors.  Daydreaming about blog designs.  Making a list of what to pack and when.  Training myself for work.  Making schedules and trying to figure out how I am going to make it through this incredibly exciting but also detailed transition.

Most of my labor has in vain and has not produced much fruit.  As Psalm 127:2 says it is useless.  And this month I am determined to curb that busy-bee in me so I can sleep all in the name of health.

Habit: I want to place a higher value on sleep through studying its importance along with experiencing first hand the benefits of sufficient sleep.

Challenge: Sleep at least 8 hours a night.
This is kind of hard with our poor sleeper Eden who still tends to be up once or twice a night, but to the extent that I can control my sleep my general goal would be 9:30-5:30.  Despite her poor night sleep, she does go to bed at 7:00 and sleep amazing during the day and I can supplement this 8 hours with naps.  I am the WORST at naps because the busy bee in me cannot shut down my brain.  But I want to be healthy and I want to learn a new habit.  Pray for me this month!