Stop Treating Sleep Like a Dirty Little Secret

Stop Treating Sleep Like a Dirty Little Secret

HOW MANY OF YOU have ever been woken up by a ringing phone, and when you answer and the caller asks if you were sleeping, you quickly clear your throat and respond, “no.”

Here’s another scenario: You’re out clubbing, and your friends want to migrate to another spot. Do you tell them you can’t join them because you’re meeting up with other people – only to secretly sneak home because you’re so tired?

Why are we embarrassed and reluctant to admit that we want and need sleep? Why do we have “sleep shame?”

Treat sleep as something important for your health

If you were at a doctor’s appointment or working out at the gym, chances are you wouldn’t deny your whereabouts because you were doing something that’s good for you.

Yet for some reason, we feel differently about sleep. Many view sleep as a weakness or a waste of time when we could be doing something more fun or productive, i.e., “I’ll have plenty of time to sleep when I’m dead.”

The truth is, sleep is as crucial to your health as diet or exercise. Science has proven that if you are chronically sleep-deprived, you are also at greater risk for the following health problems:

    • Obesity
    • Type II diabetes
    • High blood pressure
    • Heart attack
    • Stroke
Sleep affects your safety

According to Medical News Today, lack of sleep plays a significant role in tragic accidents involving airplanes, ships, trains, automobiles and nuclear power plants.

Often times, these accidents are reported as being the result of “human error” but it’s probable that the “human” was simply too tired and fell asleep, or suffered a slow reaction time due to lack of sleep.

The Verlo Challenge: Give sleep the priority it deserves

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 1 in 3 adults don’t get enough sleep. Verlo says: that needs to stop!

Sleep is the easiest, cheapest and most accessible thing you can do to improve your health, safety, relationships and life.

We encourage you to take The Verlo Challenge to sleep more and sleep better. This week, no denying that you need a nap. Have no shame that you’re trying to improve your life by getting the recommended 7 – 9 hours of sleep. Don’t succumb to sleep shaming.

Hold your head high and admit you’re tired – or rather, put your head on a pillow and go to sleep!

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