Sleep is crucial for your long-term health and well-being. Sleeping gives your body a chance to “take out the trash” and ensures that you are ready to face the challenges that a new day brings.

This week’s article is written by the wonderful Katie Brenneman. Thank you Katie for writing this for me.

Despite the importance of sleep, many people fail to get enough sleep consistently and suffer from the health consequences. For example, surveys from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that 40% of adults fall asleep without meaning to. Although this habit can seem purely accidental, it is also a sign of sleep deprivation and deficiency. The same survey also found that 1 in 3 American adults fail to get enough sleep, while a further 50–70 million have chronic sleep conditions.

Sleep deprivation and deficiency are serious issues if you work in a fast-paced, demanding work environment. However, if you consistently suffer from sleep deprivation, your work performance may suffer as well, hampering your long-term career goals.

Effects of Sleep Deprivation

Without enough shut-eye, the neurons in your brain cannot function correctly. This can cause a “foggy” feeling and may be just as dangerous as drunk driving. Sleep deprivation may also cause a variety of short-term health effects such as a limited cognitive function — meaning your ability to learn, think, reason, and solve complex problems is hindered.

In the long-term, failing to get enough shut-eye can increase your risk of developing physical health conditions like:

• Diabetes;

• Cardiovascular Disease;

• Weight-Related Health Issues.

Failing to get enough sleep can impact your mood, too. Research from the University of Harvard shows that folks who do not get enough sleep are more likely to feel “stressed, angry, sad, and mentally exhausted”. Chronic sleep insomnia can even increase your risk of developing conditions like depression and anxiety. This is a serious issue if you work in a collaborative work environment, or if you need to be a productive member of a team.

Fortunately, overcoming sleep debt and enjoying the benefits of regular rest and shut-eye is possible.

Sleep and Improved Productivity

Sleep is one of the unsung heroes of productivity. A good night’s rest can help you focus on the day’s tasks and may even bolster your productivity during the day. However, many people sacrifice shut-eye and regular restful breaks in favour of long work hours. This undermines workplace performance and costs the US economy up to $433 billion annually.

Getting enough shut-eye can improve your creativity and enhance your memory. As you drift off, your brain produces waves of electricity called “theta brain waves”. Theta brain waves enhance your ability to process information and may help you come up with novel insights and ideas. These brain wave may be that much more important if your job requires critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving.

Sleeping 7–9 hours per night is essential if you are starting a new job or learning new skills. Researchers from Princeton University show that, during the rapid eye movement (REM) cycle, “the hippocampus teaches the neocortex.” This transforms short-term or working memory into long-term memory. Getting adequate sleep allows your brain to learn from the day’s experiences and increases your likelihood of remembering the skills you’ve developed during the day.

Improving Your Sleep

Actually getting 7–9 hours of high-quality shut-eye is easier said than done. Modern life usually finds a way to undermine your sleep schedule, and a stressful day at work can make it difficult to “switch off” in the evenings.

You can increase your chances of getting a good night’s sleep by adopting the best bedtime routine for adults. Start by excising all screens from your bedroom 30 minutes before you intend to go to sleep. Blue light interferes with your body’s ability to produce melatonin and can make you feel awake.

Establish a bedtime routine that helps your body slip into a state of restfulness. Calming activities like reading, meditating, or taking a bath can calm a busy brain and help you prepare for sleep. If you’re still struggling to drift off, consider installing some shut-out blinds and cooling your room to 60–67 Fahrenheit. This creates a bedroom environment more conducive to sleep and can help you stay asleep for longer periods.

If you find it hard to fall asleep, consider getting up during the night. This sounds counter-intuitive, but sleep experts like Dr. Colleen E. Carney, Director of the Sleep and Depression Laboratory at Ryerson University, suggest getting up and completing simple tasks like folding laundry or organising bookshelves if you find yourself restless at night. This will help break the negative association between your bed and poor sleep. Eventually, your brain will associate bed with sleep, rather than the frustration of failing to fall asleep.

Conclusion

Sleep gives your body a chance to recover from a busy workday and prepares you for the challenges ahead. Adequate shut-eye enhances your creativity, improves your ability to learn, and reduces your risk of chronic conditions like depression and diabetes. If you struggle to get enough sleep, try to improve your bedtime routine by cutting out blue light, cooling the room down, and installing some black-out blinds.

Katie Brenneman is a passionate writer specialising in lifestyle, mental health, education, and fitness-related content. When she isn’t writing, you can find her with her nose buried in a book or hiking with her dog, Charlie. To connect with Katie, you can follow her on Twitter.

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