Reset The Alarm

I've been playing adult hockey for a couple of years now. And I still can't get into the swing of rest/non-rest times.

Games are held at 9:45 p.m., last a couple of hours and are really fun. By the time I get out of all the gear and pads, it is 11:15 p.m. We then talk about different issues

I get out of the rink and head for home around midnight. On a normal day, I'm up around 4 a.m. to head to work (and my keyboard), so 4 hours of sleep isn't so bad.
Or so I thought.

After a while, the four hours of planned sleep became 2 1/2 to 3 hours of actual sleep because I didn't account for the adrenaline rush and general excitement. I figured that would improve -- it didn't.

I knew I was in trouble when the word I hate to be called came out of my wife's mouth -- "grouchy" -- and so sleep has become a priority. And I'm not alone in my lack of drowsiness.

Difficulty falling or staying asleep is a common problem. About half of Americans report sleep difficulty at least occasionally, according to National Sleep Foundation surveys. These woes - called insomnia by doctors - have far-reaching effects: a negative impact on concentration, productivity and mood.

Researchers have found that people with chronic insomnia are more likely than others to develop several kinds of psychiatric problems, and are also likely to make greater use of healthcare services, according to the NSP. People suffering from sleep apnea are likely to have higher blood pressure while they sleep and suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness.

And I was just worried about being grouchy.

In the NSF survey, those who said they had trouble getting enough sleep reported a greater difficulty concentrating, accomplishing required tasks and handling minor irritations. Overall, sleep loss has been found to impair the ability to perform tasks involving memory, learning, and logical reasoning. This may contribute to mistakes or unfulfilled potential at school or on the job and strained relationships at home. In fact, sleeplessness has been found to be a significant predictor of absenteeism.

Forewarned is forearmed, or so it has been said. Now that I know, I'm making changes. I don't think so much after a game (I was usually replaying portions in my mind on the way home) and I make sure I get some sleep before the game. I cut back on caffeine and try to keep to a normal schedule as much as possible.

Shakespeare in Hamlet's soliloquy: "To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; / For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, / When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, / Must give us pause." I am not prepared to sleep the "final sleep" anytime soon, because I still dream. (Not some dumb jock after all, eh Amy?) However, it does give me pause (as opposed to my cats, which give me paws).

So, how do I know how much sleep I truly need? The NSF says if you have trouble staying alert during boring or monotonous situations when fatigue is often "unmasked" you probably aren't getting enough good-quality sleep.

Hockey rocks and I'm going to give everything I can. I want my teammates to be able to count on me as their captain and the games. But I know other people count on me too and I'm going to get my rest so everyone can count on me for anything.

And I can stop being grouchy! Maybe.

"I'm so tired/I haven't slept a wink/I'm so tired/My mind is on the blink" -- The Beatles.