The magic of sleep
(Nimue)
Exhaustion makes everything worse. Whether we’re talking about mental health, bodily wellbeing, emotional resilience, ability to cope, or any other aspect of human functioning, being well rested makes worlds of difference. There are a lot of necessary, restorative things we can’t do without rest.
Sleep and dreaming are fascinating aspects of human experience. I’ve long been intrigued by the science of these things. There is evidence to suggest that sleep and dreaming play a significant role in learning. It also seems to be important for all kinds of body regulation.
I’ve had over a year of sleeping reliably and well, after a lifetime of struggling with insomnia. My partner has a similar insomnia history, and is making similar progress. Personal experience suggests that being relaxed and happy makes good sleep feasible. This shouldn’t be controversial, but it does go with having to recognise how stressed and unhappy I’ve been in the past. Feeling safe, welcome and accepted is probably also contributing to this process.
Not being tired all the time is amazing. The power of sleep to restore the body, and re-invigorate the mind is something I’m keenly aware of at the moment. There’s a remarkable pleasure to be had in waking up feeling refreshed. It brings enthusiasm and a sense of joy to the day where waking up feeling no better very much does not. This is an everyday magic, and everyday joy that I celebrate every time I experience it.
Sleep is something to take seriously. In terms of our own wellbeing, investing in sleep is one of the best things we can do for ourselves. If you want to get fitter or be able to better manage your food choices, being well resourced through sleep makes that so much easier to do. It’s hard to do anything well if you aren’t sleeping well.
Taking care of each other around sleep is also a powerful thing. Being kind to each other, and considerate, not making a lot of noise and not making unreasonable demands is all part of this. Respecting what those around us need in order the sleep, and not being dismissive of that. We don’t all have the same experiences around how much sleep we need and the circumstances that we require for good sleeping. Being alert to that allows us to support each other in our most basic needs, and that’s always going to be a good thing.
