Sleep Your Way To The Top: Could 8 Hours Sleep and A Daily Nap Be The Key To Success?
Whether you slip into a five-minute snooze during a marathon Netflix session or enjoy an extra 15 minutes in the morning before work, napping is not only the best thing ever but great for your body and mental state. Sleep is something our bodies crave, especially as the world is packed full of stimuli and tech trying to grab our attention every moment we’re awake.
We’re constantly being told that to get to the top we need to prioritise everything else over getting a full nights sleep and time and time again we hear ‘don’t expect any sleep when you’re starting out’.
[caption id=”attachment_7566" align=”alignright” width=”219"]
Get The Sleep Revolution in the UK here or US here[/caption]
Arianna Huffington, is a HUGE advocate of sleep and encourages all of her staff at The Huffington Post to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night and is even fine with them having a nap in work.
Arianna describes herself as a sleep evangelist, and her book, The Sleep Revolution is a big hit in the business world and many celebs. In the book, Arianna gives us the lowdown on how to get the best night’s sleep and proves exactly why our bodies need it so much. The book is a personal exploration of what sleep means to her but everything is backed up by scientific research…
Arianna’s Sleep Rules
- Sleep is a fundamental and non-negotiable human need.
- Exhaustion is a sign of chaos, not a badge of honour.
- A bedroom should be an oasis: a beautiful escape from the day.
- Usher your mobile out of the bedroom before you go to bed.
- When you walk through your bedroom door, leave unfinished business behind.
Nap for a Longer Life
When you think about naps you probably think of toddlers and grannies, but seriously, if you’ve got 20 mins to yourself on a lunch break, use it to get some shut eye.
Naps can lengthen your life and help your body to relax, therefore reducing un-healthy stress levels. Research published by the European Society of Cardiology has found that a short snooze around midday can regulate blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attacks.
Some companies have even incorporated nap times into their working day and have nap rooms with sleep pods for staff to snooze when they need it. Companies like Google, Uber and Ben & Jerry’s all support staff sleeping on the job.
29 percent of workers report falling asleep or becoming very sleepy at work, and a lack of sleep costs the United States $63 billion each year in lost productivity.
Whilst most company owners would laugh at the thought of paying their staff to sleep, these companies know the importance of a healthy work force. Burnt out staff are no good to anyone. And they just so happen to be some of the biggest companies in the world.
