Twenty-six of the greatest lessons I was ever taught.

This is a chapter from The ABCs of Dan M. Wilson.

What better way to end the twenty six chapers of advice to you than by talking about dozing off, eh? This is a chapter that I am definitely hit or miss at following.

“Pat? Wake me up at fid-uh-teen!”

Grandpa Dan knew and understood the importance of getting enough sleep. It was engrained into his routine that he would head to bed every night at ten o’clock during the work week and set his alarm for “fid-uh-teen.” For whatever reason, that made-up word translated to 7:15 in the morning. I just called Grandma Pat to ask if she knew its origin and she laughed, adding that “you almost needed a Dan Dictionary to understand all the crazy words he created throughout his life time.”

As I mentioned several times in previous chapters, growing older comes packed with additional responsibilities. Some people try to do too much at once while others don’t do enough. In order to strike a good balance so that you can continue to function at 100% you will need a good night’s sleep.

Eight hours is the typically listed as the standard but each person is different, as you well know. While one person can awake with vim, vigor, and vitality after a mere 2-4 hours, others need 10+ to even feel they can crawl out of bed and operate. Over time you’ll discover exactly how much sleep you need in order to be at your best. Once you do, discipline yourself to get at least that much before important days.

“Pat? Wake me up
at fid-uh-teen!”
–Grandpa Dan

The weekends provide the best opportunity to get the most done within your personal life…but they also allow the most time for you to get caught up on your sleep. Try to set aside at least one or two Saturdays or Sundays a month with the sole intention of letting your body sleep as long as it can. I call these days “resets.” Make your room as dark and as quiet as possible, turn off your telephone’s ringer entirely, and do not set your alarm. Basically, shut yourself off from the rest of the world for the night. Take note of approximately when you fell asleep and calculate how long you slept once you wake up.

Try to get into the habit of going to bed when your body tells you that it is time to sleep. Our family has a horrible knack of shifting gears when our bodies are telling us that it’s time to shut down. We’ll get up and begin a new project or refocus, effectively “shaking it off.” Don’t follow in our footsteps and instead, get your rest.

Napping is also a great source or recharged energy. Grandpa Dan seemed to enjoy to nap the most after dinner or on Sunday afternoons. Grandma Pat napped in the early evenings. I personally find that Saturday afternoons are the best time to take an hour long nap to recharge.

All in all, try to find your own perfect balance of resting so that you’ll be at the top of your game each day. Afterall, you’ll need that rest so that you can spend each and every day applying all of the advice you received in this book. Right? Right.