About 5 years ago I was startled awake at 5am. It wasn’t a sound that had pulled me from sleep, but rather something rattling around in my brain, urging me from the comfort of my bed. It had been a late night. I definitely didn’t want to move, but I was compelled. By what, I wasn’t certain.
Until I glanced at my cell phone.
A missed call from my mom. 5am in St. Louis is 3am in San Diego: never a good time to be receiving a call from anyone, let alone family. My hands shook as I hurried to call her back. She was breathless and shaky.
And in the back of an ambulance.
My father, one of the strongest men I knew, had suffered a Grand Mal seizure in his sleep and was being rushed to the hospital. She was sitting with him then and would call me when she knew more.
My husband was awake and sitting up in bed as I hung up. I didn’t realize it, but I had audibly gasped as my mom explained what happened. She had thought my dad was having a bad dream, but turned on the light when she couldn’t rouse him and the shaking wouldn’t stop.
All of the initial tests showed nothing. This was both wonderful and baffling. The hospital released dad.
I was in San Diego within a few hours of his arriving home. He was groggy, but alert. And, as is typical for the man I know, determined to find out what had happened, understand every detail, and oh-so-very-frustrated that he couldn’t remember every moment.
But he was exhausted.
It was a few weeks before the doctors said, ‘ah-ha!’
He had epilepsy.
The doctors tied the epilepsy’s onset to a lifetime buildup of loss of sleep.
Fast forward to present day, dad is perfectly fine. He definitely gets more sleep and is an advocate (read: pusher) for a good 8-9 hours a night for me.
You see, we have learned that epilepsy can be hereditary. It is not uncommon for it to set in late in life. And I have spent the past 5+ years building a business. And while I’ve been doing that, I’ve been subsisting on 4-5 hours of sleep a night. (sometimes 3) My overarching company name is 330Media – the double entendre: 3:30 is both the time the kids get out of school and the time I have gone to bed for the better part of the last 5 years.
But, I know that has to change. My body is telling me so. My husband is telling me so. My father is telling me so.
And so is my mind.
It is never too late to make a change, a shift….to create a new resolution.
And it is just that thinking that is the motivation behind P&G everyday resolutions- urging you and me to think about our ‘lives in progress’ and the little things we can do everyday that would make a BIG difference in our worlds.
Clearly sleep falls into the BIG category for me.
My P&G Everyday Resolution for today is: Get More Sleep.
I vow to be in bed by 11pm every night (barring those special occasions!)
To reward consumers for taking these steps, P&G everyday will be giving away $100,000 in daily prizes during the month of June.
- For each person who submits an everyday resolution to the P&G everyday Facebook Page, they will be automatically entered for a chance to win:
- From June 1 – June 25: Three $1,000 VISA prepaid debit cards a day
- From June 26 – June 30: Five $1,000 VISA prepaid debit cards a day
When you share your resolution, you can also include a picture (optional), and the great news? You can come back daily to the P&G everyday Facebook page for additional opportunities to enter and win (simply re-enter your contact information). While you’re here, be sure to check out the gallery of everyday pledges other people are making to help improve their everyday!
I will be sharing an everyday resolution on my Twitter and Facebook pages each day during the month of June and I would love for you to join me.
I would love to know what you decide to do (and if you stick to it). I will be sure to let you know how I’m doing with my extra sleep.
Disclosure: I am working as a spokesperson for P&G’s everyday resolution campaign. Why? Because I use P&G products on a daily basis and it makes me happy to share this new project with you. As always, all opinions and stories are mine alone.
