I’m going to be honest… when I first saw this prompt, I was a bit confused. Why would anyone want to write about their sleep schedule? Of all things about ourselves that we should reflect on, I didn’t see why the time I went to bed was important to journal about. 

However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that our sleep schedule is a pretty important indicator of the rest of our habits. Our habits are an important indicator of who we are and who we believe ourselves to be. Analyzing them allows us to explore our values, motivations, relationships, and more.

So let’s get into the actual question I’m getting at here: What does our sleep schedule say about us?

Personally, I usually get around 7-8 hours of sleep. I am (and always have been) an always riser, even when I have nothing to wake up for. I sleep around 10:30 PM (CST) and wake up around 5:30 AM (CST). And for me, sleeping in means waking up at 7:30 or 8 AM.

Weird, I know. I always jokingly blame my parents for forcing me to go to bed early because of how annoying of a child I was, and that the habit just stuck with me ever since (love you Mom and Dad).

But my sleep schedule stems from more than just because of my childhood personality. In fact, it never really was about that at all. It more so comes from the desire to be “productive”. Growing up, I’ve learned to equate time management with being an early riser. Therefore, an early riser is able to make quick progress in personal goals (of course, this is just my own thought process; not a rule).

I generally use my mornings as time to set an intention for the day to improve myself, my work, and my life overall. I’ll usually journal, study, or exercise early in my day. Thus, I’m showcasing that I value self-improvement/self-care. They’re my motivating factors. When I don’t use my mornings for these things, I tend to feel upset and anxious since I’m no longer aligning with my values and motivations. 

Finally, our sleep schedule can also affect our relationships. We are more likely to meet others who align with our “timing” and therefore also our interests and values. This makes sense… if we’re someone who enjoys late night studying, we’re more likely to team up with another student who studies at night rather than one who studies early. We are also more likely to foster deeper understanding and respect for those who are similar to us. However, my late-riser friends and I like to joke that we balance each other out (LOL).

That’s really all I have to journal about for this prompt. I’ve enjoyed reflecting about this seemingly unimportant habit- I’ve learned a lot about myself from this prompt actually. Now it’s your turn to reflect! What does your sleep schedule say about you? 

Till next time,

Moesha.