Sleep More ... Work Less

Success is often associated with burning the midnight oil. For many of us a culture of bragging about how little sleep we get is often attributed to a sense of pride. Everyone's circumstances are different and so by no means is this blog intended undermine health conditions or raising young families etc, nor is it designed as direct medical advice or a one stop shop approach. However with the emerging new science and data on sleep, it could help with balancing working life.

It is said the average Brit sleeps under 6 hours and 30 minutes a night, which is below the recommended amount. Perhaps more concerning is according to leading sleeping expert, Dr Matthew Walker, getting less than at least 7 hours is actually doing more harm than you think, not to mention to your overall efficiency and productivity.

Why is Sleep Important

Lets examine the basics. In short, sleep offers a reset button, a chance for the the mind and body to shut off and recover from the day. It allows organs to replenish. By not allowing this process to take place it tends to have a knock effect the next day, almost like a hangover. This in turn effects factors such a mood, hunger and overall bodily functions.

I think we all know the above but lack of sleep also means you are 4 times more likely to get a cold or become ill. Perhaps more importantly, it contributes to a 70% decrease in the creation of critical cancer fighting cells and lowers the body's ability to fight infections. Put simply when the body is ill, the body is literally trying to sleep you well.

In addition sleep lowers the body's natural blood pressure and stress chemicals. When used in conjunction with the phase "I'll sleep on it" your entire body is making a decision in a calm relaxed state, rather than countering the day to day stresses.

Day to Day

Put simply lack of sleep limits the body's ability to reach its full potential. Even for the more active individuals, the intensity of your day, or workout, won't be as strong as the body won't be contracting and breathing to full capacity.

Perhaps more compelling is that under 7 hours sleep can result in 70% lean muscle being lost, rather than the unwanted fat. In other words the mind recognises when the body is in a stressed state so it won't want to give up fat easily, particularly when it's under replenished incase it needs it for energy-almost like constant 'fight or flight' mode.

Caffeine

Coffee is the most common natural drug used to keep us awake and the 2nd most traded commodity after oil. Known to increase alertness it does comes with a price (and not the the overpriced oat milk from the hipster cafe) . Caffeine has what is called a 'half life' of 6-8 hours. Meaning if you have a cup of coffee after midday, a quarter of that caffeine is still in your body that same evening. So what right? ... well, would you drink a quarter of cup of coffee before bed?

Alcohol

Often referred to as a night cap, unfortunately it couldn't be further from the truth. As little as one glass of alcohol actually causes fragmented sleep, where the sleep is littered with awakening signals. You may not necessarily remember waking up, but you'll often feel tired the next day and often unrefreshed. This is because alcohol blocks REM sleep, aka dream state sleep, which is what the brain needs as overnight therapy.

Maximising Performance

Clearly every employer is looking for peak performance. However, most employees won't want to be spending longer hours than required. Sleep isn't the only answer, but it is clearly a key component to not only a productive day in the office, but also to general mental and physical health.

So here are just 5 tips to achieve a better night's sleep ready for a more productive tomorrow, and everyday:-

1) Clockwork - going to bed and waking up at same time. Even if you had a bad night's sleep. Try not to social jetlag, especially on weekends. The mind gets confused and all of a sudden you'll be lying in bed on Sunday night wondering why you can't sleep. Create a bed time routine, and try to stick to it as much as possible.

2) Temperature - keep the room cool. The body needs to drop in temperature before it can drift off to 'la la land'. Try not to exercise too late either ... your body needs about 4 hours to cool down, back into its normal bodily rhythm.

3) Lord of the Darkness - Put the phone away and turn down overhead lighting, Remember even your skin has light receptors too! Practice ways of unwinding before bed. Sometimes it's better to do the task tomorrow when refreshed. Send an email to yourself and plow through it in half the time.

4) Counting sheep - lying awake won't help you go to sleep. Go to a different room, dim the lights, don't eat, and only return to bed when sleepy. The brain will eventually associate the bedroom with a place for sleep. Avoid work emails before bed too (and avoid ranting about 'that' person). The phone will ring if it's that urgent!

5) Nap - It's ok to nap (ideally before 3pm). Winston Churchill took 2 hours a day to nap in order to recharge. Usain Bolt took a nap before his world record breaking performance. Whilst we're not all highly paid elitists of our chosen professions, there is some logic to this approach. A simple strategic 20 minute nap can be much more beneficial than trying to slog out the rest of the day. Employers take note too- there's a reason why the French take at least an hour over their lunch break(!).

About the Author 

Hi, I'm Nitin - a solicitor, turned talent specialist with a keen passion to change the way we look at our working habits.

I handle professional people making very big decisions about their careers on a daily basis. 

My ethos is simple - bin the cliche memes, instead aim for a more productive and efficient way of working utilising science and technology.

I'm not here to preach, tell you what to so, or tell you what is right or wrong. Rather just a catalyse for a potential happier existence in world filled with distractions and egos.