Too Busy for Your Own Good (57 page)

Stop smoking
. You'll save money and future problems (and people will like you better because you don't stink up their world).

Take a walk break
at work to clear your head and straighten your desk-bound posture.

Practice “safe office.”
Wash your hands, use tissues for coughs and sneezes, and clean your phone, keyboard, mouse, and other well-used items.

Plan vacation time and scheduled breaks from the office
.

Are you tired of being tired? When you're busy, something's got to give, and it's usually your sleep. It starts innocently—a half an hour here, a late night there—then you're up half the night with a sick child or worried about a big presentation. The next day you're powering down the energy drinks to make it through the afternoon, and when you finally get home and hit the sack, you can't fall or stay asleep.

It's no secret that a busy lifestyle can affect your sleep habits, and the proof is in the numbers. The National Sleep Foundation reports that more than twenty million women
are tossing and turning every night. Here are more facts from surveys of the sleepless.

60 percent of women get a good night's sleep only a couple of times a week.

72 percent of stay-at-home moms, 72 percent of working moms, and 68 percent of single working women don't get enough sleep or have problems falling or staying asleep.

100 percent of sleep-deprived women just suck it up and go on, 80 percent of them report that they never get a chance to catch up.

67 percent of the sleep deprived use caffeine to keep them alert during the day.

33 percent of sleep-deprived women have given up sex.

And, according to the National Highway Safety Administration, 37 percent of sleep-deprived women have fallen asleep at the wheel.

Yikes! It's frightening to think that there are so many out there going through the day without enough sleep to function properly. These people are practically ticking time bombs waiting to go off! If you are among the league of zombies, it is time for you to adjust the way you sleep. Here are some tips to increase your sleep quantity and quality:

Have a wind-down routine that begins at the same time each night and ends with you going to bed.

Don't go to sleep while watching TV. Researchers at Stanford University found that the light from your monitor can reset your wake/sleep cycle by hours.