Sleep is a precious, precious thing.

I was glued to the Grammys on Sunday night, which means I stayed up well beyond my normal bedtime. So when my alarm went off at 5:15AM on Monday morning...let's just say I hit that one magic button three times before somehow dragging myself out of bed. (Not my typical routine, really.) I was scheduled to teach Circuit Sculpt at 6:00AM, and I had about fifteen minutes to get there in time. Needless to say, it's a very good thing I live five minutes away. (Literally, just five minutes.) Amazingly enough, I rolled into the studio with five minutes to spare! Go me, right? Yeah, I patted my own back for that one. My lazy, sleepy back.

I just could not get out of bed. You have those mornings, right? Wait, back it up. You have those evenings, right? You're not that tired, you have so much to do and yet—you can't stop yourself, despite the fact that you know your morning is getting closer and closer. It's stupid! And I kick myself every time I let it happen. Why can't I just go to bed? Tomorrow will be so much better if I just go to bed, right? Ugh, seriously. On the bright side, I got six full hours of sleep. I consistently get at least seven, so I wasn't that far off the norm. But I did feel it yesterday. I even yawned a few times in front of my clients. They laughed, and then they wanted to know what kept me up so late. So at least the yawns fostered good conversation. Always a plus.

At any rate, sleep is important. Especially if you lead an active lifestyle. While we sleep, our bodies (particularly our muscles) are getting some much needed rest. And even though we aren't moving, our systems within are hard at work recuperate from our recent activities while prepping for more to come in the day ahead of us. Which means we're actually burning calories while we sleep. Yes, it's true! And it's another reason why sleep is important. A tip from Oxygen:

And who doesn't want to be a more efficient fat burner? Think about that in two different ways. 1) If you sleep consistently, you'll become a more efficient fat burner while sleeping, and 2) If you get enough sleep, you'll have the energy you need to burn more fat at the gym.

Makes sense to me! You? And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to make another batch of homemade granola bars. I'm trying yet another new recipe. One that includes the following:

I'll share the recipe if it turns out.

Question: How much sleep do you get at night? What's the one thing that keeps you from hitting the hay at a decent hour? Do you regularly take naps?