The Relationship Between Sleep and Productivity

In today’s society, almost everyone has a busy schedule. From waking up in the morning to sleeping at night, it seems that the human body just keeps working non-stop. The 24 hours in a day doesn’t seem to be enough, and so to get everything done, most people sacrifice sleep. 

“People try to do away with an average of 5 hours of sleep, thinking that lesser sleeping time will increase their productivity, but what some fail to realize is that, on the contrary, the lack of proper sleep will more likely decrease productivity,”says Linda Jones, a sleep expert at Mattress1000, a sleep resources website.

Kinds of Sleep that Lessen Productivity 

• Improper Amount of Sleep – experts recommend a good 6-8 hours of sleep to get the energy to have a productive day. However, due to longer work hours and other tasks that need to be done, some people try to function with less than 6 hours of sleep.
• Inconsistent Sleep – another kind of sleep that hinders productivity is inconsistent sleep. People with an unpredictable schedule often lack a regular sleeping schedule as they try to squeeze in sleep only when free time comes.
• Unsound Sleep – unsound sleep refers to the kind of sleep that makes people seem to be more tired when they wake up. This may be caused by disturbed sleep, nightmares, or even just the sudden waking up in the middle of the night.

Ways A Good Sleep Increases Productivity

1. It Allows Faster Reaction Time

A good night’s sleep allows a person to have faster reaction time to things which consequently leads to higher productivity.

2. It Allows Better Decision-Making Skills and Clearer Judgment

With a good night’s sleep, a person can have a clearer cognition that helps in making better decisions and judgment.

3. It Allows Sharper Memory

Lack of sleep fogs the memory which means that a good and enough sleep leads to the opposite. Having a good sleep allows a person to have a sharper memory that is a very useful skill to have to deal with everyday tasks better.

4. It Allows Broader Imagination and Creativity

Creativity and imagination broaden when a person gets a more than adequate kind of sleep as both things require a clear head which can be gotten from a good sleep.

5. It Allows Efficiency and Enthusiasm

With a good night’s sleep, a person will have the energy and enthusiasm to deal with everyday tasks with efficiency. It helps a person be in a good mood which enables him to be more adept in various situations. 

Ways to Get a Good Sleep

1. Have A Good Sleep Schedule

Earlier, inconsistent sleep is listed to be one of the hindrances to productivity. What you can do here is look at your everyday routine and come up with an acceptable schedule for your sleep. Make sure to follow it religiously.

2. Practice a Sleep-Inducing Bedtime Routine

Some people find it hard to fall asleep. If you’re one of these people, you might want to think of and practice a bedtime routine that will help you relax and fall asleep more easily.

3. Keep Your Bedroom Neat

A disorganized and untidy room keeps a person from getting the best kind of sleep” the sleep experts at Bedroom Critic explain. Your rest area should be as neat and comfortable as possible to give yourself the kind of sleep that will help you be more productive.

4. Lay Off the Gadgets

Another thing that keeps a person up at night, consequently making him more tired the next day, is the overuse of gadgets. Break the habit of using your phone or tablet at night before you go to bed. If possible, turn them off to avoid temptation.

5. Have Exercise and a Healthy Eating Habit

Good exercise and healthy eating habits both contribute to a good night’s sleep as well. Exercise prepares the body for better and sounder sleep by dropping the body temperature while some nutrients the body gets from a healthy eating habit promote a higher quality of sleep.

6. Make a To-Do List

Try to plan your next day before going to bed. Knowing that you have a concrete flow of the following day organizes your thoughts which helps a lot in getting a sounder sleep at night.

Conclusion

The key takeaway here is that sacrificing proper sleep to try to be more productive only results on the contrary. The body needs proper rest to face the day ahead which, in turn, will be the one to help you be more productive throughout the day.