Sleep - you really need it!

When I first got home to my new family, it was exciting and stressful all at once. Any new situation is. So I needed a lot of sleep. Sleep is nature's way of helping you adjust to change. It helps you heal and grow and learn.

I needed to sleep somewhere where I felt safe. It needed to be warm and comfortable and clean. It also needed to be quiet. The worst thing you can do when you're tired is overstimulate yourself. Then you'll NEVER get any good quality sleep. And having a sleep routine really helped too. My routine as a puppy was wake up, toilet, eat, play, toilet, sleep. Wake up, toilet, play, learn, toilet, sleep. Wake up, toilet, play, learn, toilet, sleep. Wake up, toilet, food again (yay!), play, hang out, toilet, sleep.

I slept somewhere quiet. I liked it a lot. Within a day or two I felt very secure there. I knew why I was there (quiet time, rest and sleep), and that I was safe, so I could sleep very easily.

This is where you humans seem to get it all wrong. You forget that sleep is essential. That you need a lot of it, and that you need even more of it when you're growing, healing, learning or stressed. Sleep is not a negotiable area in your life. It's a necessity. We're all animals and we're wired that way. Sure, we can get by on not much if we're pushed. But not forever. As a dog, I try and grab a little rest whenever I can. It keeps me refreshed and ready for whatever opportunties lie ahead! And who doesn't like lazing in the sun in winter, or in the shade on a hot day?

So, I have a couple of questions for you:

1. Do you have a routine? Do you know when it's time to get up, and when it's time to go to bed?


2. Do you sleep somewhere that is safe, comfortable, clean and warm (or cool if it's hot) and quiet?


3. Do you stop with the crazy stimulation and start to do things that get you settled and quiet before bedtime at night?


4. Do you let yourself have extra sleep at night, or rests and puppy naps during the day or at weekends if you really are doing a lot of learning, healing, growing and adjusting?


5. Have you ever stopped to think about whether your wake-up environment (home, work, school, the world) is maybe stressing you out more than normal but you haven't adjusted your routine to support coping with all this new stress?


6. Do you keep stuff that overstimulates you, like computers, offices, mobile phones or game consoles IN YOUR BEDROOM???????

LESSON: Sleep is an essential part of being healthy and well adjusted. If we're not coping in life, maybe we need to improve our sleeping routine and get more quiet time and rest. Remove the stimulation at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Get rid of the stuff in your bedroom that keeps you stimulated when you should be resting. Make your bedroom safe and comfortable, and keep it clean!