A major, under-appreciated ingredient of a flourishing life is a well-rested body. When we manage our lives to give our body the full night’s sleep it wants, we live stronger—with more energy, better moods, fewer accidents, better health, and more accomplishments.
To assess your own sleep habits, take the sleep quiz developed by Cornell professor and sleep expert, James Maas.
SOURCE: James B. Maas, Power Sleep: The revolutionary program that prepares your mind and body for peak performance (New York: HarperCollins, 1999)
Cornell University psychologist James Maas has reported that most students suffer the consequences of sleeping less than they should. To see if you are in that group, answer the following true-false questions:
1. acZ3jd0liHLQpWSDjmSXmoQ0H6M= I need an alarm clock in order to wake up at the appropriate time.
2. acZ3jd0liHLQpWSDjmSXmoQ0H6M= It’s a struggle for me to get out of bed in the morning.
3. acZ3jd0liHLQpWSDjmSXmoQ0H6M= Weekday mornings I hit snooze several times to get more sleep.
4. acZ3jd0liHLQpWSDjmSXmoQ0H6M= I feel tired, irritable, and stressed out during the week.
5. acZ3jd0liHLQpWSDjmSXmoQ0H6M= I have trouble concentrating and remembering.
6. acZ3jd0liHLQpWSDjmSXmoQ0H6M= I feel slow with critical thinking, problem solving, and being creative.
7. acZ3jd0liHLQpWSDjmSXmoQ0H6M= I often fall asleep watching TV.
8. acZ3jd0liHLQpWSDjmSXmoQ0H6M= I often fall asleep in boring meetings or lectures or in warm rooms.
9. acZ3jd0liHLQpWSDjmSXmoQ0H6M= I often fall asleep after heavy meals or after a low dose of alcohol.
10. acZ3jd0liHLQpWSDjmSXmoQ0H6M= I often fall asleep while relaxing after dinner.
11. acZ3jd0liHLQpWSDjmSXmoQ0H6M= I often fall asleep within five minutes of getting into bed.
12. acZ3jd0liHLQpWSDjmSXmoQ0H6M= I often feel drowsy while driving.
13. acZ3jd0liHLQpWSDjmSXmoQ0H6M= I often sleep extra hours on weekend mornings.
14. acZ3jd0liHLQpWSDjmSXmoQ0H6M= I often need a nap to get through the day.
15. acZ3jd0liHLQpWSDjmSXmoQ0H6M= I have dark circles around my eyes.
Your Score
You answered TRUE to {model.truescore} of the 15 items, which means you are not getting enough sleep. (Answering three or more items as TRUE puts you in the category of sleep deprivation.) To determine your sleep needs, James Maas recommends that you “go to bed 15 minutes earlier than usual every night for the next week—and continue this practice by adding 15 more minutes each week—until you wake without an alarm clock and feel alert all day.” (Quiz reprinted with permission from James B. Maas, Sleep to Win! [Bloomington, IN: Author House, 2013].)
Good for you! You are actually getting enough rest. You answered TRUE for only {model.truescore} item(s). (Answering three or more items as TRUE would have put you in the category of sleep deprivation.) (Quiz reprinted with permission from James B. Maas, Sleep to Win! [Bloomington, IN: Author House, 2013].)
Do you want more sleep—and more of the vitality, positive spirit, and good health enabled by ample sleep? To begin, live intentionally. Manage your time—schedule your day—to make an appropriate place for all your priorities, including work, relaxation, relationships, nutrition, and sleep. You can do it!
To improve your sleep quality:
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