Drinking and (not) sleeping like you’re 21? It may be time for a change
Oh, that alarm! It’s never pleasant being jolted out of bed on a weekend when you’d rather be sleeping in. But sometimes, teens need to be driven to their early morning soccer games, and being late to warmups means incurring the wrath of their coaches. As I forced myself out of bed and stumbled toward my Keurig for some much-needed caffeine, I considered the events of the previous night. It had been a friend’s daughter’s sweet 16 party, and they’d gone all out. The food was plentiful. The music was loud. The drinks were free-flowing, but maybe a little too free-flowing.
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I started berating myself in my head for going overboard. Then I realized – I’d had two glasses of wine over the course of a three-hour party. Two. And there was food in between. So maybe it wasn’t the wine I was feeling. Maybe it was the late night and the mere five hours of sleep I’d gotten, coupled with the four hours of sleep I’d clocked in the night before after staying up late to meet a deadline. Or maybe it was the sum total of poor sleep, a touch more alcohol than I usually consume, and a heavy meal that was making me dread that long drive to the soccer field more than I normally would at 6:30 on a Saturday morning.
When you feel your age – or older
As I’ve been getting, ahem, older, I’ve noticed something. The things I used to do in my 20s now render me unable to function. Back then, a few nights of poor sleep (with maybe some wine interspersed) would’ve been a cakewalk. Now, apparently, it’s an event my body needs to recover from. And I’m not the only one. A survey commissioned by Motive Health and conducted by Talker Research found that Americans over 45 feel 12 years older than their actual age, on average. Separate research shows that people both look and feel older on days when they’re stressed, which doesn’t bode well for me and others in my age group who are juggling parenting, work, bills, and other triggers that can cause those grays to sprout. The reality, though, is that many of us probably aren’t doing ourselves any favors by drinking, eating, and (not) sleeping like our 20-something selves could get away with. And what I’ve realized is that sometimes, even a single night of poor sleep, too much alcohol, or too many greasy calories for my own good can turn me into an absolute wreck the next day.
My friends are noticing it, too. One no longer drinks on weeknights because she swears half a beer will give her a hangover. Years ago, I would’ve said it was all in her head. Now, I’m not so sure.
Being kinder to ourselves
It’s not easy to come to terms with our minds and bodies aging. The things I used to find fun and exciting in my 20s (running marathons, camping, drinking margaritas at brunch) are things that have become physically painful. But rather than get frustrated with myself for feeling my age, I’ve instead tried making a conscious effort to drink less, eat well, and get a reasonable amount of sleep when my schedule allows for it. I’ve noticed other friends adopting healthier habits, too. One friend gave up fast food for Lent this year and says he’s done with it for good. Another friend started maintaining a sleep log – not because of apnea, but because she’s sluggish most workdays and needs to figure out how to stop feeling that way.
If you’re someone who still likes to stay up late and you enjoy being the person who closes down the bar in town, more power to you. But if upholding your 20-something habits when you haven’t been 20 in a number of decades is catching up to you, it may be time for some changes. The benefit of being older is that you’re past the stage of needing to impress people with your partying skills. Now, you’ll get more cred being the person in your social circle who goes to bed by 9:30 and brings a salad to the neighborhood barbecue so everyone can get their greens on.
Embrace this version of you if the old version makes you sluggish and gives you a headache. You’ll be happier for it.
