Does Summer Mean Sleep Deprivation?

It’s summertime in the U.S.A. and that means fun, right? There are all kinds of things to do: swimming, sunbathing, gardening, lawn care, picnics, vacations, games, sitting on the porch until the sun goes down, and more. Unfortunately, the usual list of things to do continues as well: housework, the wage-earning-job, errands, meals, and all manner of mundane daily duties. So how do we accomplish all of these things? Does summer mean sleep deprivation? For many people it does.

Lynette M Burrows, author; Lynette M Burrows science fiction author; Lynette M Burrows action-suspense science fiction author
photo courtesy of lifebeginsat50mm via Flickr

It’s a cruel season that makes you get ready for bed while it’s light out. ~Bill Watterson

We all know that sleep is important. There’s information all over the web, televisions, and magazines telling us that chronic sleep deprivation can lead to decreased alertness, memory loss, and numerous medical issues ranging from obesity to heart disease. (For more information go to WebMD.) So why do we do we shave off sleep time? Perhaps we believe in some of the common myths about sleep.

If you lose two hours of sleep, you can impair your performance equal to a .05 blood-alcohol level. (from 10 facts about.com)

Do you believe that missing just one hour of sleep won’t hurt? Or that your body adjusts quickly to different sleep schedules? What about the one that you can make up for lack of sleep by sleeping more on the weekends? Sorry, none of those are correct. Even just one hour less sleep at night will affect how alert you are, your cardiovascular health, your energy levels, and your ability to fight off infection. For more information on myths about sleep go to helpguide.org and go to sleepfoundation.org for healthy sleep tips.

“I’m not asleep… but that doesn’t mean I’m awake.”-Unknown Author

It’s summer and my wish for you (and me) is to make getting enough sleep a priority so we remain healthy and have a terrific summer. And I don’t want to be too serious so, how about a few fun facts about sleep?

Here’s 10 Fun Facts about sleep.

You know those sheep we count in order to go to sleep? They only need 3.8 hours of sleep a day! Check out how many hours of sleep a giraffe needs per day here.

I don’t know about you, but I want to be a dolphin. Scientists studying sleep believe that dolphins may sleep with one hemisphere of their brain at a time. How cool is that?  Yes, some report that ducks can do the same thing, but I’d much rather be a dolphin. Just think how much I summer I could enjoy if half my brain would sleep while I enjoyed summer fun!

“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.”-Irish Proverb

Sleep by Sean MacEntee via Flickr

What about you? Do you get the recommended amount of sleep? If not, what has you sleep deprived this summer?

6 comments

  1. I seldom get enough sleep, but it’s not for lack of trying. I have a hard time getting up in the morning all year long but it’s worse in winter when it’s dark, so in that regard I like summer!

    1. I hear you, Jennette. I am constantly sleep deprived, but it is easier to get up when the sunshines. Thanks for stopping by.

  2. I’m not getting enough sleep and I haven’t been for years. I haven’t seen daylight for years as sleep deprivation has me a prisoner in my house. The problems are caused by things the council landlord refuse to fix. I’m looking for a lawyer and I’m aiming to sue.

      1. Thank you Lynette you’re one of a very few who seem to care. I’ve made a friend of someone who has names and shamed local council staff on his blog. This man was arrested -( the cops didn’t even know the reason) – for wanting answers from the council. They didn’t like it so they cried “harassment” and he’s also a victim of this same council. They’re so nasty they even took homeless people to court because they considered it a crime!? To be homeless.

        Local government at its worst. There’s likely more out there suffering like this. Sorry to ramble, but I just needed to let it out. As I’ve nobody to talk to.

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