A: Sadly, yes. It is not my only passion, but I do passionately love my sleep.
Q: What time do you usually go to bed?
A: I usually go to bed around midnight. I do not condone or recommend this. As far as bedtime is concerned: do what I say, not what I do. Did you know that the sleep you get before midnight is four times more effective at resting and refreshing you than the sleep you get after midnight? (I either read this on Dr. Mercola or in The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin; I did not make it up.) So, for example, if you sleep from 10 p.m. until 6 p.m. you get the equivalent of 14 hours worth of rest, whereas if you sleep from midnight to 8 a.m., it's only 8 hours worth. Perhaps this is why some people can go to bed at 9 p.m. and get up at 4 a.m. and be productive. I have never gotten up at 4 a.m. and been productive.
Q: Speaking of getting up, what time do you get up?
A: This is so embarrassing. When my kids were in elementary school, I was in a Bible study and the icebreaker question for the group was, "What time do you get up in the morning?" I got up at 8:15. Everyone else got up at 5 or 6. I was humiliated. But really, the bus came at 8:50, and there was plenty of time between 8:15 and 8:50 to get the kids dressed and fed. I was not dressed and fed, but they were. These days I get up at 6:30 for Jonathan, but then I go back to bed and snooze until at least 8:15.
Q: Do you think you can sustain a blog that is about sleep? Is there that much to say about it?
A: I don't know. I guess time will tell.
Q: In a nutshell, what are your sleep secrets?
A: First, find peace with God... Second, forgive all the people who have hurt you, and when their trespasses come to mind, just pray for the people, turn them over to the Lord, ask Him to bless them and make them kinder... Third, do something physically tiring every day, and stretch your muscles out before you go to bed. If that's not enough, try some steamed vanilla milk and a couple of Valerian tablets, maybe some Tylenol. And work on scripture memory while you are falling asleep. Really.
Q: Really?
A: Really.
