I have a confession to make. I am an addict.

My drug of choice is adrenaline, and the rush of “getting things done”. And to get my fix, I stay up later than I should. I forgo sleep far too often — and that’s not good.

I have really good habits other wise

• My diet is pristine – no sugar, no processed foods, only fresh whole foods.
• I am committed to exercise. In fact I’ll admit it publicly – I love to sweat. I love to feel my muscles burn.
• I have a really simple stress transformation process and I rarely lose my cool any more. I’ve given up worry about the uncertainty the future holds.

But sleep? No matter how much I research and learn about the benefits of sleep and the dangers of lack of sleep, I persist in believing that it’s okay, because I “do everything else right”.

I kid myself into thinking it’s not hurting me.

I am fit; I am energetic; I am focused and strong.

Yet in spite of the fact that externally everything seems to be fine with me, I know there are things inside that are not.

 My Bad Sleep Habits Put Me at Risk

I discovered an imbalance last fall, in the process of running my B4 Be Gone program, which is all about consistently making the diet and lifestyle choices that balance blood sugar and hormones, and result in increased energy, less fat around the middle and crystal clear mental functioning. I bought a brand new glucose meter so I could make a video and teach my class how to test their own blood sugar.

I tested myself and discovered that after eating fruit, my blood sugar readings rise into the diabetic range.

You can only imagine my shock, my horror and my dismay!

How could that be? I eat a pristine diet, I exercise and I manage stress. So what if I don’t sleep much?

“3 out of 4 ain’t bad.”

So I started to research sleep, and what I discovered was shocking!

Even one night of poor sleep can contribute to insulin resistance in a HEALTHY person!

Yikes. No wonder my sugars shot up to 167 after eating a bowl of fresh pineapple.

So I decided to sleep.

My goal was to go to bed by midnight most nights. That may not seem early to you, but for me it was at least 4 hours earlier than I was used to going to bed.

But I couldn’t start it the next day or the next because “I had too much to do.”

About a week later I tried the going to bed early thing.

And the next day I felt awful.

Tried it again the next day and same thing.

Next night I stayed up until 4AM and felt great the next day.

And then it hit me.

Adrenal Fatigue and Sleep

My adrenals are on the brink of disaster.

I had to do something.

Finally, I started going to bed by midnight regularly and was really enjoying it. That lasted a few weeks. Until I got so behind on a project that I “had to” stay up late and the addiction started all over again.

Perhaps you’ve had a similar experience with food?

My bad habits have returned, and I’ve been consistently going to bed between 4 and 6 and getting up between 8 and 9 every day for a couple of weeks now.

And although I feel great most of the day, I know it’s wearing me out.

I was called on it on a phone call today and in front of 50 people, I recommitted to myself.

I will put myself and my health first and get the sleep I need, even if it means falling behind on projects.

I also committed to keeping a sleep blog for 30 days. It takes about 21 days ot create a habit, so I figure 30 days gives me 9 for good measure.

If you too have a bad sleep habit to break, or any other habit to break for that matter, join me for a 30 day adventure.

I’ll post my bedtime daily along with a juicy nouget or two for good measure.

It’s 11:03 and as soon as I hit send I am off to bed.

Will you join me for a 30 Day Sleep Commitment?

What are you willing to commit to?  Comment Below.

Love,Health and Joy,

Dr. Ritamarie