Why You Should Let Yourself Sleep In! -CatchyFreebies

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Hello and welcome to #SpoilYourselfSunday, where we celebrate simple and frugal ways to enjoy a little me-time. Get in the spirit – write your own tips on our Facebook wall, or tweet @CatchyFreebies with the hashtag #SpoilYourselfSunday. If we choose your tip for a feature, we’ll send you a sample from our stash!

Today for #SpoilYourselfSunday, let’s chat about sleep. Everyone needs it, but do they get enough? Busy moms and dads know all too well that the days of sleeping in are over when baby arrives – and even a day off from work doesn’t guarantee ample shut-eye. But why not? Why shouldn’t you treat yourself to a morning in bed every once in a while? We’re going to arm you with some knowledge on the benefits of sleeping in, and give you some strategies to make it happen.

First of all, why sleep in? Well, that’s simple. It feels a-MAYYY-zing! But there are actual health reasons why you should indulge in a little extra quality time with your bed. These incredible health benefits include:

Catching up on sleep debt that you accumulate during your work-week (or during your neverending parenting week!), when you can’t go to sleep early;
Feeling less pain from chronic joint issues;
Enjoying lowered risk of random injury related to lack of sleep;
Thinking more clearly;
Controlling your weight more effectively;
Boosting your mood and overall immunity;
Improving long-term memory, learning, and memory organization thanks to increased REM sleep; and
Avoiding common health problems associated with lack of sleep including obesity, heart attacks, heart disease, and anxiety.

In fact, it has been demonstrated that sleeping 10 hours per night is actually more optimal than the oft-recommended 8 hours, and gives people an energy boost and an increased ability to process information. Of course, it’s actually better to establish a regular sleep schedule and stick to it than to occasionally sleep in; if you can, get your boss to agree to a later start time for your work day, so you can set up a later sleeping schedule.

But, what about the majority of us who don’t have the luxury? Especially if you have kids, finding the time to sleep in can be tough. Here are some strategies to try:

Switch off sleep-in days with your spouse or partner: that way at least one of you can get some extra z’s!
Leave out (healthy) breakfast food and some activities (coloring books, learning games, etc) for the kids to enjoy when they get up.
Leave an older sibling in charge of the kids on the weekend mornings.
If you have trouble staying asleep, get some blackout curtains for your room (and possibly the kids’ rooms, too!).
Work from home some days if you can, so you can catch an extra hour or two of sleep – not having to commute or get “dressed” can come in handy!

The moral of the story is: Let yourself go back to sleep if you’re still tired – as long as the house isn’t burning down, everything else can wait! You’ll be more alert, attentive, and calm for the rest of the day, so why not?

Do you let yourself sleep in once in a while? Why or why not? Leave us a comment on social media using the hashtag #SpoilYourselfSunday!

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