7 ways sleep can change your life
Sleep can be one of your power tools in your life tool belt. Just by getting enough sleep, getting up early and taking advantage of that quiet time before breakfast, you will see immediate benefits. Waking up early and going to bed early is a learned practice for most people but we promise you will love the outcome. Here are some time-specific effects of sleep and how it will impact your control of time:
- Increase productivity and performance: Just one hour of sleep debt can increase your productivity by 25 percent! In the workplace, its effects can be seen in efficiency and productivity, while decreasing errors, and accidents.
- No more daytime drowsiness: Want to make the day go by very slow? Don’t sleep! Who wants to feel groggy and foggy throughout the day. With enough sleep, your creativity and ability to listen effectively will greatly improve.
- Improve your mood: One of the first things to go when you become sleep deprived is your mood. By aiming for at least 7–8 hours of sleep, you will increase your ability to manage your patience. Tired? Try not to take on frustrating tasks, interact with irritating people, or generally engage in too much social interaction when you are very short on sleep. https://www.slumbersecrets.com/research/sleep-deprivation/
- Reduce stress and anxiety: Normal day-to-day stress will hit you even harder with no sleep. And then the extra stress and anxiety could cause a night without sleep! It’s a vicious cycle. You will feel more and more confident as you increase your sleep quality and lower your stress hormones significantly.
- Energy: Regenerative rest is critical for our health as well as a natural source of energy. Sleep helps us recuperate from the day-to-day activities. While we sleep, our tissues are repaired, we recover from physical fatigue and emotional and intellectual demands while we sleep.
Reference: http://www.oprah.com/health/how-to-sleep-better-and-have-more-energy/all#ixzz55J7gQ9F9 - Increase your income: By having enough sleep, you are also increasing your performance and reducing the chance of mistakes, you could increase your income by 5%! When we are alert and in a better mood we tend to be more agreeable when leading or working with teams. We are also able to access creative thoughts more readily. This could lead to more opportunities and growth in your career or business.
Reference: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2017/05/30/how-to-earn-more-money-get-more-sleep/#55f9f4dc6f2e - Reduce illness: When you’re sleep deprived, your body’s immune system is not given the time to recharge properly. Study after study has revealed that people who sleep poorly are at greater risk for a number of diseases and health problems; obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, anxiety etc.
Reference: http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/need-sleep/whats-in-it-for-you/health - BONUS – Life longevity: Getting enough sleep and being rested can have detrimental effects on your health, and possibly how long you live. Research suggests that regularly sleeping for less than seven hours a night can have negative effects on the cardiovascular, endocrine, immune and nervous systems with additional side effects. However, you can have too much of a good thing, finding the right balance of sleep that works for you is key.
Reference: https://www.healthambition.com/health-benefits-sleeping/
Bottom line, by getting more sleep, we can be better versions of ourselves and enjoy life more. Your workouts, family time, your tasks at home or at the office, your weekends… you will be more energetic and present. Of course, it will happen once in awhile that we lose sleep, but most of the time we can choose when we go to bed. So sweet dreams, put away those devices at least an hour before bed, grab a book, maybe add lavender on your pillow and sleep well, mes amis.
Sleep. Live. Repeat.
Sweet dreams!
Estelle Johnston
Community Manager at Dovico.com-Give Time Meaning