catching the z's

you gotta sleep
perhaps one of the most overlooked aspect of health is the need for sleep. we all know that we need "some" sleep, but we seldom allow ourselves to gain the sleep we need, for a variety of reasons, mostly a mixture of life style concerns and bad habits.
When you're working hard, burning the midnight oil, playing hard-staying out with the owls then your body is being robbed of one of the essential ingrediants of health. SLEEP. Society asks us to work and work; We work long hours then return to our caves and sit down for food and watch tv, next thing you know its late in the night and you've invested hours in something that didn't really entertain you, just to satisfy a habit.
Often we get the call to go out on the town and spend many hours carousing only to spend the next day or two with the enevitable hangover, moody and unhappy.
These activities rob our minds and bodies of one of the most valuble aids in mental and physical recovery.Sleep.
You have to work hard to get ahead, and you need time to blow off steam and relax. Escape your day to day grind. But we should take these things into consideration and schedual some time to sleep. come home after work, eat, train for 20 min (or train for 20 min , eat) spend half an hour to an hour teaching your body a new habit; gearing up for down time. read a book, take a spa, whatever. change your active habit so your mind and body know its time to rest, go get some sleep. skip the tv. if its that riviting, get the dvd.
when you have a big weekend planned or unplanned, cat nap your way through it. 15 min, before you go. a few extra naps during the aftermath.
you have to sleep. there are books written on the bad effects and loss of health and sanity due to lack of sleep. Most of us even when we think we're getting enough sleep are still sorely lacking in what the human body needs to actually recover the riggors of normal day to day activity (let alone if your engaged in hard labor or training). get away from the tv. get away from the pc. stay home for a (early)night.
early to bed early to rise makes one healthy wealthy and rise. this is true. give it a try.