day 4: dances with circadian rhythms

This is going to be brief because I can barely keep my eyes open. Maybe it is the lack of caffeine or maybe it is the daily ebb and flow of my digestive hormones (or something completely different!) but either way--I'm tired. I think I yawned three times during the process of typing just that sentence.

I don't mind it. If my body is telling me that falling asleep around 10pm is what I need to do in order to wake refreshed at 6am, I'll do it. Sleep has always been high on the priority list, and while initially falling asleep isn't usually a problem, staying asleep and sleeping restfully through the night is always an issue. I'm a light sleeper and seem to be constantly turning over and waking to certain noises or for no reason at all. Using a white noise machine has helped with some of that, but I'm interested to see if I notice a marked change in the restlessness or restfulness of my sleep as I adjust to a Whole30 life.

Adequate rejuvenating sleep is the backbone of so many other things that could potentially affect my health and appetite (e.g. stress and cortisol production), so in theory, simply getting enough rest could help prevent some of those midday or late-night "cravings", usually for something overly sweet and/or salty. I know I'm stressed enough as it is with other aspects of my life so I don't need a lack of sleep to be sending my already high cortisol levels into the stratosphere.

That is why when I'm given the option to sleep a decent amount or stay up cramming for an exam, I'm probably going to choose sleep. Even if I feel unprepared, I know my brain is going to function better for the exam the next day if it has rested.

I don't have an exam or anything specific I need to wake up for tomorrow (happy Easter!) but I can take a hint. And rather than fight it, I'm going to embrace it and melt away into dreamland knowing that I've set myself up well to get some good shut-eye. Hopefully better than what I'm used.

Although, with how well I've been hydrating the past few days, I'll probably have to get up to pee at least once in the middle of the night. AND, with my luck, I bet you I'm going to start having weird bizarre craving dreams tonight. But don't worry--if I do, you'll be the first to know.