Call me whatever you wish: a sleepyhead, a kipper, consopite[1], or doss. I love sleeping. It’s one of my favourite things in life. Curling up in a ball on my plush bed is fantastic! Sometimes when I am very tired, I wish I could sleep all day like babies and toddlers get to do whenever they so choose.

No matter the season, when lying in bed, I relish the relaxed feeling of my body as I drift into unconsciousness without a care about the next item on my to-do list. In winter, when it’s cold and dark outside, I love cozying up under a warm blanket and feeling like I’m hibernating if only for a few hours.

I’m not a sound sleeper or someone who falls asleep easily at night. So, I struggle during the summer time when it can be unbearably hot to take a break from the hustle and bustle of life and warm my eyes. That’s when I stick to the 3-2-1 rule developed by sleep experts for winding down before bedtime.

Three hours before, I avoid large meals, caffeine, or alcohol (I don’t drink alcohol, caffeine or other stimulants). Two hours before bed, I take no food or fluids. One hour before, no screens. This last one is harder than you think especially if you have a husband that sneaks to get in the last quarter of a football game before bed.

Sleep is good because it’s the foundation of wellness and happiness. According to the Centre for Disease Control, good sleep is essential for our health and emotional well-being, and though the amount of sleep you need changes as you age, getting enough sleep and good quality sleep are vital to good health.

Getting enough sleep can help you get sick less often, stay at a healthy weight, reduce stress, improve your mood, heart health, and metabolism, and lower your risk of chronic conditions like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.

Adequate sleep also helps with memory and learning, allows the body to repair and recharge, can lessen the risk of motor vehicle crashes and related injury or death, and improve your attention and memory to better perform daily activities.[2]

Whenever I’m exhausted and away from my bed, sleep feels like a luxurious pleasure I can’t wait to taste again. That’s because sleep has a value that reaches far beyond health – it is God-given. The word of God says “It is vain for you to rise early, to retire late, to eat the bread of anxious labours— for He gives [blessings] to His beloved even in his sleep.” (Psalm 127:2, Amplified Bible).

So, this holiday season, have lots of fun and ensure that sleep is right up there on your agenda.  It will add to not decrease from your merriment. Happy holidays fellow hypnophiliacs and sleepyheads and a bright, prosperous 2026!

[1] An obsolete word from Latin consopitus meaning “to put to sleep.

[2] https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about/index.html