Single Parents are More at Risk of Sleep Deprivation
Not surprisingly, a study in 2020 reported that single parents, especially single mothers, were more likely to report poor sleep quality and duration.
What makes this statistic so important?
The National Library of Medicine reports that under 6 hours of sleep per night is actually “defined as insufficient sleep” and causes “adverse health effects across your entire lifespan”.
Your entire lifespan! Sleep is an investment worth making starting today.
Getting good sleep is vital to your functioning as a parent, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
How Much Sleep is Needed?
The study above recommends getting a minimum of 7 hours of sleep per night.
Remember that is the bare minimum, I have read other experts who say if you are under a lot of stress, 8 or 9 hours is justified.
Contrary to how our culture views sleep, there is no badge of honor earned for getting little sleep. It is contrary to how God made us.
Why is the human race always fighting against God’s good intentions? (That is for another conversation!)
Scientists are still trying to figure out all the aspects of sleep and why it is so important according to this Harvard Medical School article. “
Yet, despite decades of research and many discoveries about other aspects of sleep, the question of why we sleep has been difficult to answer.
Sleep is a gift from God. God does not desire we live in a state of deprivation.
Scott Hubbard writes,
Perhaps the most striking endorsement of sleep, however, comes from the simple fact that God made us this way. Scripture gives no indication that our need for nightly rest began in Genesis 3. And in fact, before the fruit was taken from the tree, before the weariness of sin weighed down the world, Adam slept (Genesis 2:21).
Sleep, it seems, is no fallen necessity, nor merely a fleshly temptation, but a divine gift. Both then and now, God “gives to his beloved sleep” (Psalm 127:2).
Sleep Restores our Bodies.
One of the most important aspects of managing stress and protecting your circadian rhythms (and healing in general) is prioritizing sleep … getting adequate sleep is critical for healing, for regulating hormones, for resolving (and preventing) inflammation, and for the normal functioning of the immune system.
Dr. Sarah Ballantyne
Sleep Restores our Minds.
Did you ever go to bed unable to work through a problem and wake up with a fresh outlook or a new solution? This is no coincidence! Read Psalm 16:7 in two different versions.
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. NIV
I will bless the Lord who counsels me; he gives me wisdom in the night. He tells me what to do. TLB
God works while we are sleeping.
Do you get to the end of the day and your list of things to do is still so long? It is tempting to skimp on sleep, but remember God is still at work while we sleep.
God does not “sleep or slumber” according to Psalm 121:4.
When you and I lay our heads down at night, we can fall asleep knowing that the one who sustains all things and the one who holds all things together.
And the one who loves us and is committed to caring for us and providing for us is working even while we are unconscious.
– David Platt
All that being said, it can still be difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep when you have a lot on your plate.
If you are one who has trouble falling asleep, this informative article is specifically for single parents. They even mention one of my favorite self-care techniques, grounding!
Unlocking Restful Nights: 5 Wind-Down Techniques Every Single Parent Should Know