Prioritizing Sleep

Sorry for not posting last night — I was running around this crazy city until late, and by the time I got back to the apartment the last thing I wanted to do was try to be witty.

But now I’m back!

So I have a confession: I do not sleep enough. I pride myself on living an active, healthy lifestyle. But a major component to being healthy is getting enough sleep.

Last night I didn’t get to sleep until 1:30 am.

Then I woke up at 5:30 am.

Silly, really. To be honest, I’ve never been the kind of person who needs very much sleep. I’m a natural morning person and my body doesn’t always feel the difference between 8 hours and 5 hours of rest. But moving forward, I want to make sleep as much of a priority as running and working.

When I woke up, this is how I felt:

5:30 am? You must be joking.

As I got myself ready, I tried to put on a happy face.

OK fine. I'll run.

I brushed my teeth, got dressed, did my ab routine and then hit the streets for a 4-mile run.

There's the happy face!

Amazingly, once I started running I didn’t feel tired. I maintained a relaxed pace and loved that there were a ton of other runners out this morning.

Of course, the sights were impressive as always.

Hello, sunshine
This makes 5:30 am worth it, don't you think?

I even ran alongside this little guy for a while (though I feared he was going to bite my ankles)…

My dad calls these little dogs "drop kicks." Nice, I know.

By the time I was finished running, I felt wide awake.

Whoa blurry iPhone photo
There, that photo is a little more normal

Now I’m rushing a bit to get out the door because I have to get Remicade today before I go to work. Click here to learn what the heck I’m talking about.

I WANT TO KNOW: How much sleep do you get each night? Do you make sleep a priority or is it an afterthought?

Ali

Ali

0 Responses

  1. Holy Cow! So glad i found your blog! The Team Challenge Signlet got me right away! I also have Crohn’s (and Ulcerative colitis – double whammy) and love running. although I need sleep. Like minimum 8 hours or I’m a mess – I’m jealour of those who can get up at 530 am and run. I get up at 530 to get ready for work 🙁 Can’t wait to keep up with you and your struggles – hopefully I can learn something (I seem to flare after every half marathon). Nice to meet you!

    KerriAnn

    1. I’m so glad you found my blog, too! I love chatting with other runners, especially ones who know & understand Crohn’s & Colitis. NOT fun that you got hit with both. I feel for you! I look forward to following YOUR blog and hearing all about your great progress!

  2. I definitely do not get enough during the week 6/7 hours but on the weekends lately I’ve been racking it up. I’ll be asleep by 8:15 and sleep until 6am. Love it1

  3. I try to get somewhere between 7 and 8 hours of sleep, but I don’t always get that. For my job as a Counselor I sit in a room (i’m in the basement with NO windows and dim lighting) without moving or doing anything (except listening/talking) for 8 hours a day. After that, I sit and write case notes. Needless to say, if I haven’t gotten much sleep, it is incredibly hard to stay awake. And let’s be honest, how does that make you feel if your counselor is yawning and falling asleep on you? 🙂

  4. I alternate 6 hours and 8.5 hours kind of by design and kind of thats just how it works. But it works for me! A morning run will almost always shake out the cobwebs though, regardless of how much sleep you got.

  5. Man. I NEED my sleep. I’m in bed by 10, 10:30 is “late” for me and up by 5:20 to workout. And even sometimes it’s hard to get up if I didn’t get right off to sleep (which happens often, trust me). I give you MAJOR kudos for getting your workout in on such little sleep. I think I might die 😉

  6. I AM NOT a morning person…I find it hard to get out of bed in the morning..even if i have had 8-10 hours sleep..lol..and yes, I could totally sleep 10-14 hours a night and not think twice..big but…I have small children so I am lucky to get in 8 hours…lots to do after they go to sleep at night. I have to make a sleep a priority or the next day is a struggle.

  7. I NEED my sleep- I am tired and grumpy without it, and often get headaches. I try for 7-9 hours each night and LIVE for weekends when I can wake up without an alarm. I can easily sleep for 11+ hours if I let my body do it, especially after a hard work week. I wish I could get by on 5 hours like you!

  8. I usually get to bed at around 11:30 on weeknights and wake up at 6:30 for an hour-long run, 7:30 if I’m not running (which is usually twice a week). It’s definitely not enough– I rarely stay up past midnight even on the weekends and lately I’ve been crashing and waking up at 10 a.m. on weekend days with no alarm. When I have a race, I find that it’s important to get plenty of sleep the night before the night before the race…I <3 sleep.

  9. How do you do it? By the time I’m home at night, all I want to do is crash. I have no problem getting up at 5 but going to bed after 9 is a real struggle. I know…I’m a total party animal and you want to come to DC to hang out with me and see my crazy nights.

  10. Sleep is definitely a priority. I am not a morning person and I can not function on little sleep. I get around 6-8hrs a night depending on when I go to bed or when I drag myself out of bed. My work schedule allows me to sleep until 7 some days so If I go to bed at 10 or 11 I’m good to go on the sleep. I’m a monster if I don’t sleep.

  11. I sleep 7-9 hours every night. I’m also a morning person so I can wake up early no matter how late I got to bed, but I know that if I don’t get enough I will literally fall asleep in class. Plus I had really bad insomnia for about three years when I was in high school/early college, so I love that it’s relatively easy for me to get to sleep now!

  12. I’m definitely the type of person that needs a lot of sleep! I almost think it’s more of a mental thing than anything because I really could probably get by with 6 hours of sleep but I convince myself I’m going to be exhausted so naturally I end up being exhausted. Lately, I haven’t been getting enough but I’ve been getting by.

  13. Yeah, you look cute in every single pictures, even the grog ones.

    So, sleep is one of those things (along with time) that cause me anxiety. I am constantly thinking about what time I want to/will get to sleep and what time I have to wake up and how many hours it will be/how many hours I got. I try to get as close to 8 as possible each night. My body often wakes up very early on its own though, well before 8.

  14. I have the same issue, I don’t get nearly enough sleep. I usually fall asleep around 11-12 and have to get up at 5 – 530 to get to work. Beautiful pics as always

    cheers

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about ali

I’m the creator of the Ali on the Run blog and the host of the Ali on the Run Show podcast. I’m also a freelance writer and editor, a race announcer, a runner and marathoner, a mom, and a huge fan of Peanut M&Ms, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (way better than the first one!), and reliving my glory days as a competition dancer in the early 2000s. I’m really happy you’re here.
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