Your Most Productive Day Can Start with a Good Nights Sleep
Could you use more sleep?
Staying Up Later to Be Productive… May Not Work
Are you able to get enough sleep daily? Are you satisfied with the quality of your sleep? I used to think that the less you slept, the more time you had to be productive. Some people claim they can still be productive even after sleeping only 4 or 5 hours a day, and I was curious enough to try it.
Yet, while I was trying to sleep less and being more productive in the day, it was not working as I thought it would. I would usually wake up in the morning feeling lethargic and felt the same throughout the day. On top of that, I was not able to concentrate on my work, either.
At a certain point, I felt that there was something wrong with my routine. I was not able to hit my peak performance. I tried a few cups of coffee throughout the day, but nothing seemed to help. After some research on sleep deprivation, the information that I found proved the opposite of what I used to believe.
Thorough research and going through a lot of statistics about sleep lead me to a clear result. It made me realize how this subconscious state in which we spend almost one-third of our lives can be so important for us. I also learned why ignoring a good night’s sleep can be costly for your mind and body. Here are some interesting statistics which you may be interested in:
- According to the National Sleep Foundation study, an adult needs an average of 7 to 9 hours of sleep daily to perform at their best.
- According to CDC, 35% of the population doesn’t get enough sleep.
- Research by NCBI also found that the use of sleeping medication is associated with an overall higher mortality rate.
While there are various downsides of not sleeping enough, the benefit you can get from sleeping enough is enormous. Sleeping enough gives time to your body and mind to recover, repair, and regenerate. It also helps your brain consolidate important information we learn throughout the day.
How to Manage Your Sleep
Getting to bed on time and going to sleep was a struggle when I first started. In the beginning, I told myself that I had to be in bed at 11 pm sharp, every night. I wasn’t able to sleep at all. but then I felt something had to be done. Giving myself a “bedtime” was not enough. Keeping this in mind, I made 4 changes in my life.
- I started avoiding any type of caffeinated drinks at least 6 hours before bedtime
- I began reading books an hour before sleeping instead of watching videos on my phone (backlit devices can obstruct sleep)
- I started getting ready for bed at the same time every day
- I got enough exercise during the day
After struggling for a few days, I was finally able to peacefully drift off. This was satisfying, especially because it indicated I was paying better attention to my health. Here are some benefits that we get from sleeping on time and which I also felt after changing my schedule.
Improved Concentration
Concentration is a crucial factor in our productivity. By concentrating, you are focusing on one thing and avoiding unnecessary distractions. The ability to properly concentrate helps get things done much faster and makes things much more enjoyable. However, one reason you could be having weak concentration is that you did not get enough sleep last night.
The author, Norman Vincent Peale, said it best:
“When every physical and mental resource is focused, one’s power to solve a problem multiplies tremendously.”
According to a study by Harvard University, sleep deprivation harms our focus, attention, and vigilance. Sleeping enough helps us to focus properly, and it is important for you if you want to make fewer errors throughout your day.
Sleeping Improves Memory
When I started getting to sleep my body craved, the first thing I noticed a difference in was my memory. With enough sleep, I was able to retain memories better than I used to. In many cases, I didn’t even need my reminder app to tell me what to do next. Sleeping can help you can retain more important information through the consolidation of memory, which is important for learning.
If your job is more memory intensive, like a teacher or an environmental engineer, then getting proper sleep will be even more important for you. Apart from that, studies also suggest that sleep helps to improve the learning ability of a person. This means not only teachers, but students should also be making sleep a priority.
Sleep to Remain Energetic Throughout the Day
Energy is one of the most crucial factors in staying productive throughout the day. If you are not sleeping for at least 7–9 hours per day, chances are you may feel a lack of energy throughout the day.
As I have mentioned earlier, sleeping helps your body to recover and regenerate from past traumas. Sleeping also helps to increase athletic performance by restoring nutrients and repairing tissues. These vital processes help us feel more energetic throughout our day.
Yet, many teenagers and adults are not able to get enough sleep daily, which in turn reduces productivity. According to a study, 37.9 percent of US adults reported having unintentionally fell asleep during the day at least once in the preceding month. This unintentional daytime sleeping is linked to sleep deprivation. If we aren’t giving our body the sleep it wants, it will let us know.
Conclusion
There are many important functions our body performs while we are asleep. Hence, sleeping for at least 7 hours is very important for our mind and body. There are few exceptions, but for most of us, lack of sleep can have some really serious side effects. It leads to reduced productivity, lack of focus, and lack of energy.
It can be challenging to get sleep on time, but with a little effort, you will be able to make it. The result of sleeping for the right amount of time will be very rewarding and can benefit your mind and body in the long run.
If you still aren’t sure whether you need more sleep, that’s okay. To help decide, I’d encourage you to set your alarm, take your time, and sleep on it.
