Don’t you hate it when your friends send you little silly videos and say, "You really have to watch this?" Don’t get me wrong, I love hearing from my friends. But as a single mother of twin teenagers I just don’t have the time to watch a video of something totally inane like a cat spinning a ceramic pottery wheel or a chimpanzee watching TV—as adorable as either of these things might be. I have dishes to wash, groceries to buy, school emails to respond to, work to be finished, fights to be refereed, and dogs to be walked. Did I mention I still haven’t taken a shower yet and I have a zoom meeting in five minutes?

But, bear with me as I make exception to this rule for this 3 minute 36 second video.Dr. James Hamblin appears to be no older than my chihuahua and probably has no knowledge of the harrowing nature of parenting—yet he delivers this health tip in such a delightfully funny way that I find it hard not to send this video to every single person I know, texting urgently, “You have to watch this!” Oh my God I’ve become one of those annoying people.

His point is simple: we should all turn off our phones and hide them for one hour before bedtime. He brands this hour: THE AMAZING HOUR. You’ve got to love that.

Dr. Hamblin reminds us of all the reasons why we ought to put down our phones at night: the blue-light wakes up your body, impacting your melatonin production. Less sleep damages your immune system. But he delivers this message with wit, so it’s way more powerful than a preachy lecture that we want to ignore. He makes us laugh at ourselves--and the awful pull of tech-addiction.

Furthermore, he shows that he equally challenged--which is what makes him so endearing. Dr. Hamblin suggests alternatives to phone scrolling: read a book, read a magazine, write in your journal—reflect on your day—or God forbid—just sit still and do nothing! At one point he shows himself staring at a fake black box, just so he will have something to hold in his hand. Even my teen eye-rolling sons found this a messenger they could appreciate.

Every night now when my bedtime alarm chimes, I remember with a smile that it is, The Amazing Hour. This re-brand on the typical critical-inner-self-scolding I normally do--is just delightful enough to make me remember that if I allow it to amazing--it really might be. Giving myself the gift of reading, writing, reflecting and a real-old-fashioned deep sleep is no laughing matter.

Learn how to have your own AMAZING HOUR as told by Dr. Hamblin, only watch at least one hour and three minutes before your bedtime!

Note: Mothers of Children with Rare Disease are invited to join me at Angel Aid every Thursday for a a conversation about coping skills and how journal writing can ground you. Write a little, share a little. Confidential. Free. Fun. Nurturing. New members and drop ins welcome. Still in pajamas? Messy loud house? All are welcome.

Pop this link into your Calendar! Thursdays 11am PST

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