As parents, we appreciate our kids who are good sleepers. However, we don’t typically think about sleep in terms of skill as we do with nutrition or exercise.
You’re not going to train for the World Sleep Championships.
Yet, given how much time we spend asleep, it’s surprising that we can view sleep as an inconvenience rather than what it is—a restorative state.
With advances in science, we are beginning to understand the mysteries of sleep. Of course, there is still a lot that we don’t know: Why do we sleep? How does sleep affect our health? What can we do to improve sleep?
If you’re interested, there are great resources to learn more about sleep. You might want to check out Matthew Walker’s book, Why We Sleep as a starting point.
One way to appreciate the power of a good night’s sleep is to grab your sleeping bag along with a comfortable foam mattress and camp out under the stars for a night or two. Glamp if you want to. Just make sure to pick a spot without bears or mosquitoes. Maybe your backyard will work.
