Go the Fu@k to Sleep

I’m sure by now everyone has at least heard of this 2011 “adult children’s book” by Adam Mansbach. The audio is narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, and there’s a YouTube video of Jennifer Garner reading it that has over 5M views.

Adults LOVED this book. It was translated into several languages and had reached #1 on Amazon’s bestseller list a whole month before its release date.  

The irony I see in all of this is that SO MANY adults read this book, loved this book, and yet they won’t “go the f#@k to sleep” themselves. 

Sleep is crucial for a child’s growth and development, we all know that. Somewhere along the way we’ve lost sight of how important sleep is for ALL AGES. 

It’s not enough to eat healthy and exercise, sleep is an integral part of the package. All three have to work together, equally. 

Insufficient sleep can severely impact physical and mental health, as well as cognitive function (the reason you’re doing the head bob at work and can’t focus).

Lack of sleep can lead to:

• Increased risk of heart disease, stroke, elevated levels of stress hormones

• Obesity – sleep deprivation affects ghrelin and leptin (the hormones that regulate hunger), causing you to be hungrier

• Diabetes – the body can’t properly process glucose, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes

• Reduced immune function, making you more susceptible to infections

• Respiratory diseases

• Hormonal abnormalities

• Mood disorders – depression and anxiety

• Increased irritability and mood swings

• Impaired motor function – similar to being INTOXICATED

• Relationship stress

• And so on

For those working regular business hours, staying up late into the night does nothing good. We need between 7-9 hours of sleep every night. I know, I know. There are likely many “reasons” why you have to stay up late, including needing time to unwind after the kids have gone to bed. 

But what are you doing after 9pm? And be honest. 

I know what I used to do. 

Scroll. TV. Eat. Repeat. 

If you can honestly admit that you’re “up to no good” after 9pm, then avoid the toxicity of binge scrolling and the temptation of eating a bed snack and GO TO BED. 

Even if you have small children and you use that time to unwind and hear yourself think, if all you’re doing is scrolling or eating or staring zombie-like at the TV ( likely while dozing), go to bed early and GET UP earlier. 

Get up before the kiddos and use that time to sip your coffee in peace. You might be motivated to throw on some sneakers now that you don’t have the kids underfoot for 20 minutes. 

How you start your day largely affects how your entire day will go. And if you wake up groggy and sluggish after a late night of binge-scrolling in bed, that’s the brain and body you’re dragging into the office. 

I’ve said it a million times, getting healthy is hard AND suffering is hard. Choose your hard. Only one of those gets easier, the other… does not.