A Resting Resolution

For many, the new year is a symbolic opportunity to let go of old habits and stressors in favor of something better. Trading cheap and easy snacks for healthier alternatives or regular couch sessions for daily jogs are common resolutions to make. Unfortunately, these changes more often than not end up in wilted spinach and lightly used running shoes rather than an entirely new lifestyle.

I've never been one for sticking to my own New Year's resolutions in any meaningful way, but if the past few weeks are any indication, that losing streak may have finally been broken. Sure, I've been eating a little better and working out a little bit more, but the thing that has been the most beneficial isn't either of those. Quite simply, it has just been sleeping a little bit more, and a whole lot better.

Not many people would say that getting more rest is at the top of their priority list. At least not when there are so many other things they could be doing with their time. There isn't any question that increasing personal and professional productivity has become the primary focus of millions of lives, but giving up sleep is hardly the way to do so.

Resting for Time Management

Anyone who wants to make the most of their time needs to be well versed in properly managing it. Nearly everyone struggles with this in some fashion, and it's understandable that turning to sleep to help solve that problem sounds incredibly counterintuitive. Then again, a lack of sleep has been directly linked to a lack of focus. This can easily kick off a vicious cycle of having to sacrifice resting hours for a little more midnight oil to burn in an example of what has been dubbed "Insufficient Sleep Syndrome." This voluntary restriction on sleep just to work, play, or study a little harder may be a fine solution to make up for a single night, but in the long haul it only leads to less productivity than what someone started with. Restlessness, lack of focus, and even more stress are all quick to set in before the inevitable burnout that is still somehow far from the worst of it. If you value your time, making sure that you're rested enough to make any real use of it in the first place is a great place to start in terms of making the most of it.

Resting for Wellness

As much as falling behind from burnout can hurt, the more serious consequences of inadequate sleep are as devastating as they are numerous. Anxiety, depression, ADHD, and a plethora of other disorders can all be caused and exacerbated by falling into unhealthy sleep patterns. While the CDC recommends between seven and nine hours of sleep per night, recent studies have found that nearly a third of American adults regularly sleep for less than six hours. None of this is to say that getting the recommended amount of sleep is going to fix any serious mental health issues. Rather, that the importance of sleep when it is so inextricably tied to how we feel cannot be overstated. Getting a solid eight hours every night won't make any underlying problems go away, but it's a surefire way to alleviate a lot of the unnecessary stresses that snowball into something more harmful over time.

Resting for Fitness

Things that are good for the mind tend to be good for the body, and sleep is undeniably one of those things. The benefits of sleep in regards to mental and emotional health aren't nearly as obvious as those related to physical health. Sleep recharges and repairs our bodies just as it does our minds, and even more literally. Almost all of the growth that happens in our bodies happens while we slumber. It's no surprise that our muscles are built during resting hours, but most would be shocked to learn that a lack of proper sleep has been linked to a loss of muscle mass as well. Anyone hoping to bulk up for the summer is going to have to hit the gym, and all of those reps are going to be wasted without hitting the sack afterwards.

Resting for the Better

There are so many reasons to sleep better, and there is no easier resolution that could possibly be made. Maybe it sounds lazy, but sleep matters in too many ways to treat it like an afterthought or inconvenience. If making the time to take care of yourself really matters, then so should giving yourself the chance to actually do that in a way that really matters.

John Dodge can be found writing about all sorts of things on Vocal when he isn't sleeping. He can also be found writing about comics over at CBR.com. Click the following links to check out what he's up to over on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter again. There are also buttons right here on this page that you can click to let him know that you enjoyed this article, subscribe for notifications about new articles, or even leave a tip. Two of those three are absolutely free, so why not click them, right?