It’s mad to think that it’s already the last week of July and this year is just flying by in a blur. To slow down a bit I thought I’d share some of the extra resources from my book, Adulting 101, over the next few days and weeks so you can get a taste for some of the info that’s inside and take a little bit of time to take care of yourself. I’m going to start at the beginning of the book and go chronologically, so you can follow along if you’re reading it now.
To ace Adulting 101 we need to sleep more
It’s about this time of year when many of us start to feel a little tired, whether it’s from work stress or the seasons, and so it’s an EXCELLENT time to think about how much we’re sleeping and the way we’re sleeping.
We all know that we need to get more, and more decent sleep in order to feel like full thriving human beings but so many of us avoid sleep or procrastinate when it’s time to go to bed. In Adulting 101 I share some of the science around the importance of sleep and why we should all aim for at least 6 – 8 hours a day. Here, I’ll share some of the extra resources I point to in the book, so you can go and check them out for yourselves. I’ve also included some new links and information that I’ve found since writing Adulting 101. Hope you enjoy!
Extra Adulting 101 resources on getting enough sleep
- Why we should get an early night – The School of Life
The School of Life is one of my absolute favourite YouTube channels and they provide some practical advice on the importance and pleasures of an early night.
- Matthew Walker – Why We Sleep
In the book I share a lot of information about sleep, much of which I found via reading Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker.
It’s such a fascinating dive into the way our brains work, the importance and benefits of sleep, and how we can all do better at getting it. You can also take a Master Class on Sleep with Matthew Walker via the Master Class platform, here.
Here are his six tips for getting a better night’s sleep.
- Sofia Axelrod – How Babies Sleep
I’m a new mom, and sleep is foremost in my mind at the moment because I’m learning just how hard it is to function on broken and/or limited sleep. I’m also amazed at the transitions my little one has made from newborn to six months old in terms of how he can sleep and when he needs to. In trying to understand all that I’ve recently been reading a book on baby sleep (obviously with the dream that they’ll miraculously present me with the cure for night wakings and fragmented sleep).
Like Matthew Walker, Sofia Axelrod is a sleep scientist so the book is based on the science of how much a baby needs to sleep (A LOT) and some of the things you can buy and do in your home to make it easier for them to do it (black out blinds, for example, and a red light in their bedroom, limiting their daytime naps etc). It’s an easy read and includes some information that we’re trying out at home. I’ll keep you all posted on how it goes.
- Sleep and our Mental Health – The School of Life
In the second part of the section of Adulting 101 I write a lot about our mental health and how much impact a sleep has on our sense of wellbeing. Here’s some more about that from the School of Life.
- Finding your sleep chronotype quiz
Whether we’re a morning person or a night owl is really determined by our genetics. You can take a quick quiz to find out what the best times are for you to be awake / sleeping in here.
- Ariana Huffington – The Sleep Revolution
This was another really fascinating book that I read for research for Adulting 101. Ariana Huffington avoided sleep so much as a normal part of her job that she collapsed at work. Now the Huffington post has nap pods and she prioritises taking the sleep she needs. It explores sleep around the world and how important it is.
- What to do about insomnia – The School of Life
Sometimes we really WANT to sleep, but we just find it really impossible to do it. Here’s a useful video from the School of Life that might help you out.
Wishing you a good night’s sleep tonight.
For these and more Adulting tips, buy Adulting 101 now.
Jen Thorpe 