Sleep – you've got to love it. However, I was so tired last night that I couldn't get to sleep. My brain was so active … after preaching five times over the weekend and then finishing off the last few edits of a new book I'm writing called Prison Break … my mind was so alive and creative that I got up at midnight and spent an hour outlining two more books I'd like to write. Eventually I got back to sleep and had a good 8 1/2 hours. It's Monday today and I thank God for the queen. You have to love her just for being born … because in Australia we get a day off today … even though it's not her exact birth date … that's why I was able to sleep in until 9.35 am.
Sleep – I have tried living on less sleep but I need about eight hours. If I don't get that much too many nights in a row, I start to slow down, unless I catch up with some extra deposits in my 'sleep bank'.
Maybe I should have been born in France. The French spend more time sleeping than anyone (8.8 hours each day) and they spend more time eating than anyone. The Americans aren't far behind.
To watch a brief video about the power of sleep, including some good sleeping tips, click here. Having sleep problems, click here, here, or here. After all, we sleep for about a third of our life, so it's worth learning to do it well.
I'm encouraged by the fact that Jesus occasionally took a nap during the day (Mark 4:38) and God gives us sleep for our benefit (Psalm 4:8). Just don't sleep all day (Proverbs 20:13; 23:21 24:33) …. or at work 🙂
Sleep well!
t’s interesting you posted this. SBS recently aired a documentary on sleep called Dead Tired, and found that a lack of sleep, especially the deep sleep was a major contributing factor to diabetes, weight gain and other health and mental problems.
The main subject was a 26 year old Canadian paramedic who for science subjected himself to only three hours sleep a night for a week. One of the tests at the end of the week was a driving test in which he had a culmination of 20 minutes worth of micro-sleeps while driving the car! He was functioning with his eyes open while he was sleeping. Scary.
Well worth checking out. You can see part 2 of the documentary on the SBS website (I missed it), Part 1 isn’t there on the site but I’d be happy to burn you a copy.
Copy and paste the following to see its synopsis.
http://to.ly/ggM
Great to hear you’re writing more books Mark – look forward to where it leads!
Sadly, not all of us have Queens birthday as a holiday…!
N
PS: Schlaf gut and Yoku nette kudasai
Mark, congratulations on finishing the book as well as your PhD! Just wanted to let you know how much me and my partner Justin appreciate you!
Angina
Forgive this little anecodte but this post brough back some memories of the trouble I used to have sleeping…
When I was younger and wrking as a graduate my working week was ‘full on’.
I used to sleep only six hours per night Mon to Thursday but come Friday evening …
My fiance (now wife) would wait all week to see me and come to my house have tea and watch TV/Football/Video. But inevitably at about 7:45 my body would say I have had enough and I would fall asleep on the couch … only to be woken up by hearing the front door slam, followed by the car door slamming and my fiance’s car speeding away in disugust.
Needless to say, every Saturday was spent seeking forgiveness.
LOL Great to hear from you Richard. You make me smile 🙂 My son is going through the same pattern of sleep while doing his Uni studies right now. Being a mother I am concerned about his lack of sleep. Glad to hear things worked out for you and your wife 🙂 Gives me hope. Thanks. How’s the garden? Have you finished it? Hope the weather is being kind to you in Perth. Have a great day.
Hey Dr. Mark 🙂 Congratulations on your achievement. Well done! Have a happy 23rd. wedding anniversary my dear friends. Enjoy your trip away and take care.
Hi Marija,
Garden is coming on great thanks – albeit slowly. Three young kids can slow down the process. Planted my olive tree, three some Golden Robinia’s – and a Judas tree. Now getting a garden bed right along the side of the house ready to plant herbs (yes – pasley, sage, rosemary and thyme all in a row). Still looking for a reasonably priced Church pew for the garden 🙂
Good to hear Richard. I’ve just planted 2 olive trees myself. Someone gave me an Italian olive recipe which I look forward using when my olive tree finally has fruit 🙂 There’s nothing like harvesting your own fresh produce. Hey? Have you tried phoning some old churches or looking in the Trading Post or EBay for your pew?