Tenet #1: 9 Hours of Sleep

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Say whaaat? NINE hours of sleep? Oh, wouldn't that be a dream? I'll be honest: when I first heard that 95210 recommended nine hours of sleep, I thought there was no way that was possible in my life. Then I learned that the recommendation for adults was seven hours, which still seemed out of reach for a working mom of two young children who also wanted to exercise every day, spend time with my husband, and maybe even watch TV once in a while!

But, as I've learned more about the value of sleep, getting more of it has become a priority. Reading about this study on sleep convinced me that more shut-eye could do my body more good than I thought. Participants who slept eight and a half hours a night compared to participants who slept just five and a half burned on average 400 more calories per day. That's a workout's worth of calories! That is just one benefit of sleep. Others include improved academic performance for kids, better concentration and problem-solving skills, higher productivity at work, and just general happiness.

95210  is about awareness. So, this week make it a priority to become more aware of the sleep you are getting. Set an alarm on your phone for about 30 minutes before you want to get to bed to remind yourself to start winding down the day. Then, make a note of when you actually climb into bed and turn off the light, and when you wake up the next morning. It may be just six hours, or even less, but this week the goal is just awareness. 

Then, start thinking about what you can reasonably do to get to bed earlier. Here are some ideas that might help:

• Start with the end in mind. What time do you need to get up in the morning? Count back eight hours and shoot to be in bed by that time. Just knowing what bedtime that would be will help it become more realistic.
• Turn off television, computers, and phones an hour before your goal bedtime. You need sleep more than you need to know who the Bachelor gives a rose to!
• Avoid exercising late in the day. Exercise does help us sleep better, but it takes longer for our bodies to slow down and be ready for restful sleep when we exercise too close to bedtime.
• Determine what honestly, really, truly needs to be done before the day ends. Many times, what seems urgent in the moment doesn't matter much in the morning. Take care of the must-dos, and then clock out for the day. 

Become more aware of your sleep habits this week, and strive to improve them little by little. While you're becoming aware, read this article on the benefits of sleep. It will open your eyes to the value of keeping them shut! 

Don't forget! Log your 95210 numbers every day! Go ahead now: www.95210.org.