Be Well, 1015 GABJ, Vol. 39 No. 5. 66
| Author | Maryt L. Fredrickson Ninth Judicial District Staff Attorney Yoga Teacher Jackson, Wyoming |
| Position | Vol. 39 5 Pg. 66 |
Maryt L. Fredrickson Ninth Judicial District Staff Attorney Yoga Teacher Jackson, Wyoming
Sleep Well: Thank You, Arianna Huffington
Sleep is challenging for many lawyers. Our minds are constantly working. Our jobs can entail high levels of stress, a fact which predisposes us to sleeping disorders. When lawyers are busy, many tend to sacrifice sleep, thus joining a subculture that prides itself on a lack of sleep as if operating on only four to five hours of sleep each night deserves a badge of honor.
I set out to write a column about the importance of sleep to our mental and physical health. But another brilliant writer already published a comprehensive, easy-to-read treatise on the topic which my humble column could only superficially cover. Tis month’s column evolved to a short book review of Arianna Huffington’s The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time, released earlier this year.1 Ms. Huffington is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post. She worked hard at her start-up company. For years, she worked all the time, every night, every weekend, every holiday, and she was constantly connected to her work. One week, she took her daughter to look at colleges. After touring schools during the day, she stayed up all night working on the Huffington Post and got by on three to four hours of sleep each night. She returned from her trip with her daughter and went directly on a sleep-limited speaking tour. When she returned, she walked into her office and blacked out. She woke up alone in a pool of blood. Ms. Huffington had passed out and on the way down she fractured a bone in her face.
She went to a doctor and was concerned her fainting was caused by a neurologic disorder that needed treated. The diagnosis was more simple—she was tired. Ms. Huffington saw a few more doctors, still convinced she had a neurologic problem in need of medical treatment. Again and again, the diagnosis was simple—she was tired. Once Ms. Huffington accepted the diagnosis, she focused on sleep and The Sleep Revolution and its predecessor, Thrive, were written.2
Studies show that after 17 - 19 hours of being awake, we can experience a cognitive impairment equivalent to a blood alcohol level of .05 percent. A few more hours without sleep can lead to the equivalent of a blood alcohol level of .1 percent...
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