doze off.

healthier living is not just about eating better and exercising more. it also involves one key point i seem to overlook most weeknights. sleep. good, quality sleep. i am a night owl at heart, and i enjoy staying up late, watching conan (or friends on nick-at-nite), reading, writing. i spend a good hour, if not longer, stretching out the day as much as i possibly can until it is finally time to close it down. i think it all started in nursing school, when i would stay up late each night, studying and working on papers, and before i would go to sleep, i watched sex and the city from 12 to 1. it was my time at night after a long, busy day. but the early mornings still came, and still come, around just as early every day, and getting up a little before six each day of the week now is not easy. neither is making myself go to bed earlier.

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eventually, somewhere along the way, it caught up with me, and i was simply no longer able to stay up as late as i used to. i hate to admit that, but it's true. so, instead of spending a couple hours every night winding down, i've been trying to put the computer and the books away and go to sleep when i'm tired. imagine that. that idea had actually escaped me until recently. go to sleep when i'm tired. i still have to get in something every night - writing or a little tv. i can't just get in bed, lie down and go to sleep. i don't think i've ever been able to do that. but instead of staying up too late, i'm learning when to call it quits.

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it hasn't been easy, and some nights, i still stay up later than i should. it's hard to give up my night time, and it still feels funny going to bed before midnight. sometimes, i think it would be worth getting a mere five hours of sleep so that i could stay up and have more time to my night. sometimes, it feels worth beng tired the next day. and, whie i can't honestly see myself giving up my every night to sleep (ha), i will say this - going to bed earlier at least a few nights a week is definitely beneficial for obvious reasons - better, longer sleep equals a more productive, happier day, plain and simple. plus, it makes 5:45 am somewhat more tolerable. somewhat.