When Apple updated to the new iOS 10 software, I noticed a few of the epic updates. Not only was the epic change to texting a plus, but the added “Bedtime” option under the Clock app rocked my world!
As a self-proclaimed knowledge-junkie, I like to figure out how any and everything works. I played with the app just to see what it would do, and at first try, I was disinterested. Where were the bells and whistles? I wanted magic! I had changed the settings on it to what I believed would be a “good nights sleep” and rolled over. I set my regular alarm for 7:04 a.m. so I could get my daughter to school on time..so when 6:45a rolled around and I was awakened by a soft, refreshing sound.
I was a bit baffled.
You see, I didn’t pay attention to the fact that at 10:30pm the night prior, my phone reminded me that in order to get my “full” rest, I needed to be preparing for bed in 15 minutes. And I didn’t pay attention to the fact that it had been doing so every weekday for the past two weeks. Sometimes, I magically fell asleep. Sometimes, I ignored it and continued with the freelance life grind.
All of a sudden, a month later, around 10:30pm EVERY night, my body starts craving sleep! Wait a minute, how did this happen?! Somehow I had placed myself on a sleep schedule and I didn’t have to move mountains to do so!
I always thought getting “enough” sleep meant getting just enough to be able to get things done while running off pure adrenaline. But now, once I wake up, I’m up!
Seriously, I can’t remember the last time I woke up tired. I can feel my creativity coming back and I don’t have to sacrifice sleep every night to tap into it.
I encourage everyone struggling with turning your work mind off and your rest mind on to activate your “sleep” function. If you don’t have an iPhone, there are tons of apps that may be able to get the job done for you. Finally settling into an 8-hour sleep schedule may not seem like a lot to you, but to me, a former insomniac, it’s EVERYTHING!
Sleep is not an option for me. It’s a necessity.
Follow me online on FB and IG at @officialmaleeka to see how well I can keep this up! 🙂
Originally published at medium.com