The month is November, and for now, many of the sleep villains I fight against are at bay — although I’ve seen a new bad guy popping up.
Wrestler Leg Syndrome. I’m back to the drawing board at coming up with ways to defeat The Syndrome. He is a bull-in-a-china-shop-type sleeper. Spinning, flipping, and keeping everybody in bed awake!
While I plot and strategize, I wanted to take a moment to slow down like I do every Thanksgiving and try to live from an attitude of gratitude.
One thing better sleep over a long period of time has taught me is when we are exhausted, we are at risk to take things for granted. Lots of different things!
I have also learned through my service in the Kiwanis and Exchange Clubs that not everybody gets to sleep in ideal conditions. Far from it. There are many people who have sleeping conditions that guarantee no sleep will occur.
And I have learned how much harder people’s lives are compared to my own. For instance, I delivered a mattress set to a local veteran who had lost both of his legs in the service. This was many years ago as he is now an elderly man.
But as we set up his mattress set and some basic furniture, I could see how difficult it was for him to do chores. Picking up items on the floor, dusting, doing laundry, and the list goes on. Then I turn around and procrastinate doing my own chores because of some lame excuse like I feel like I deserve to relax more and shrug my chores off.
But now it’s different. I no longer procrastinate. I view my chore list with gratitude. I get to do my laundry. I load it up into a hamper, march it over to the machines, and two-ish hours later it’s all folded and put away. Same with the dishes!
As I have traveled the world and served in local charities, I have come to realize how special it is to be able to practice a consistent bedtime routine and a regular bedtime. It is very special to be able to plan out a wake-up time and then have 30 minutes to make coffee or tea and do meditation and reading. I really had no idea until these habits woke me up.Â
I will always fight the things that keep you up at night. I will teach and preach the Game Plan for Better Sleep. But I am somewhat aware that my good advice often goes unheeded.
And that’s okay! Sleep habits are the type you have to decide you are ready to change. You can’t be told to do them. I, however, do not take the gift of good sleep for granted. I work at my habit to improve my sleep. And I find that those same improvements positively affect me while I am awake!
It ain’t easy, dude! It can be a rude awakening when you go to develop better habits for sleep. You may think you are sacrificing your precious nighttime activities.Â
In reality, you replace them with new precious morning activities! It takes a new approach to looking at the world. And the only way to get there is through a good night’s sleep.
Good morning superpower seekers! My name is Mattman SirCapesAlot. I’m the comfortable caped crusader. I teach and preach the Game Plan for Better Sleep! I’m the resident Sleep Superhero on the Sweet Dreams Mattress & Furniture of Lake Norman Dream Team. I am also part of the FAM crew from FAM.news where you can find mattress and furniture industry info, intel, and good people! If you are interested in growing your local independent business, check it out! And be sure to tune into the audio version of this article for a deeper dive into the information and happenings in a day in the life of a Sleep Superhero.
And speaking of Superheroes, the Dreams 4 All team in Pinehurst held a fundraiser to raise money to support the staff and services of Dreams 4 All. It was an amazing event! I saw our Tempur-Pedic Rep Casey Williams there, also Doug Stewart and Mark Kinsley from the FAM.news crew, and we raised a good bit of money to support the cause. If you would like to make a monetary donation to the Dreams 4 All Foundation that believes nobody deserves to sleep on the floor, please text us at 704-706-2436. You can text us if you would like to see about doing this in your local community as well! We are always looking for more superheroes to join the ranks!
