Are You Sick, Or Are You Tired?

I have a testimony I’ve wanted to share with other moms for some time. I’ve written articles about it for homeschooling magazines but they haven’t seemed to think the issue worth discussion. (At least they haven’t bought my stories.) I still think it’s important. Let me know what you think.

Several years ago, I aspirated crumbs. It was a significant event—meaning I know that is what happened. I had food in my mouth, was talking, inhaled and down it went—the wrong way. I could feel it.

After waiting too long, with multiple and varied symptoms, I saw a doctor who suspected pneumonia and sent me for a chest x-ray. The x-ray, however, was clear. After some extensive dialogue and examination the doctor diagnosed me as “sleep deprived.” I was dumbfounded. How dare he say, “Go to bed and call me in the morning?” The scientific explanation of what happened to those crumbs isn’t pertinent to what I want to share with you here. What is pertinent is the diagnosis and prescription.

Roughly, 70 million Americans suffer from sleep deprivation. They also likely suffer in their health, relationships and job performance and have no idea why. Sleep deficiency suppresses the immune system, decreases productivity and can lead to a host of health issues. If you suffer from chronic fatigue, depression, hypertension or memory loss, perhaps you also have some form of sleep disorder.

“Insomnia is our nation’s silent health crisis,” say James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D. in their book Prescription for Natural Cures. Stress and anxiety are the most common causes. However, other physiological problems can play a role. Sleep apnea, gastric reflux, restless leg syndrome, any pain and hormonal imbalances such as women experience at menopause, can all rob a person of a good night’s sleep. When this happens night after night, a sleep deficit results.

Poor lifestyle choices also can contribute to sleep deprivation. Caffeine, tobacco and alcohol disrupt healthy sleep cycles. Shift work, irregular sleep times or studying all night can do the same. According to Dr. Nancy Fodvary-Schaefer, Director of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation Sleep Medicine Program, “Sleep deprivation has evolved into an epidemic….”

Thankfully, I didn’t have any of these excuses. I just didn’t have the time to go to bed! I’m a very busy person—aren’t we all? Working part-time as a freelance writer, homeschooling the children, and overseeing all the homestead chores consumes all my time. Now you can understand my indignation when the doctor ordered that I increase my four to five hours of sleep by three to four more. Could you do without three or four hours in your day? If anything, I was trying to devise ways to add hours to my day, not subtract them. But I was physically ill. And my husband said to try it for two weeks.

After one night, I felt better. After three days, many of my acute symptoms disappeared. After two weeks, I was a new woman.

Why am I writing this for you? Because, as mothers, we often fail to follow our Lord’s example to rest. We also tend to lean toward a Martha lifestyle of doing, doing; rather than a Mary example of sitting at the feet of Jesus. This often results in neglecting ourselves to the point that our family suffers.

Sleep deprivation initially comes wrapped in a baby blanket. Then as each subsequent baby arrives, our sleep deficit increases. But babies do eventually sleep through the night and when they do, we need to, too. As homeschooling moms, we cannot stay up until midnight and get up at 5:30 a.m. day after exhausting day and expect to function—no matter what we want to do.

Do you suspect I’m talking to you personally? Next post I will share a way that you can test your own sleep deficit and ways to improve your sleep experience.