3. Why Sleep Is So Important
An inspiration from Health Article
4. Why Sleep Is So Important
Many hard-charging managers pride themselves on their ability to
work long hours and get by on 5 or 6 hours of sleep.
But the truth is that they're shortchanging themselves and their
companies.
5. Why Sleep Is So Important
"Sleep is not a luxury,"
says Dr. James O'Brien,
medical director of the Boston Sleep Care Center in Waltham, Mass.
"It's a necessity for optimal functioning."
6. Why Sleep Is So Important
When you sleep (What your brain do?)
Your brain catalogues the previous day's experiences, primes your
memory, and triggers the release of hormones regulating energy, mood,
and mental acuity.
To complete its work, the brain needs 7 to 8 hours of sleep. When it gets
less, your concentration, creativity, mood regulation, and productivity all
take a hit.
7. Why Sleep Is So Important
How sleep works
To understand why the right amount of shut-eye is so important to
performance, it helps to know how sleep works.
8. Why Sleep Is So Important
How sleep works
Healthy sleep is divided into four-stage cycles. As we progress through
stages 1 and 2, we become increasingly unplugged from the world until
we reach the deep sleep that happens in stage 3. In deep sleep, both
brain and body activity drop to their lowest point during the cycle, and
blood is redirected from the brain to muscles.
The fourth and final stage is named for the rapid eye movement -- REM --
that is its defining characteristic. Our brains become busily active in REM
sleep, too, even more so than when we are awake. Dreaming happens
during this stage.
9. Why Sleep Is So Important
How sleep works
In a full night's sleep, we experience three or four such cycles, each
lasting 60 to 90 minutes.
10. Why Sleep Is So Important
The work sleep does
Different yet equally important restorative work happens during deep
sleep (stage 3) and REM sleep (stage 4).
11. Why Sleep Is So Important
The work sleep does
Deep sleep is crucial for physical renewal, hormonal regulation, and
growth. Without deep sleep, you're more likely to get sick, feel depressed,
and gain an unhealthy amount of weight. According to the National Sleep
Foundation's 2008 Sleep in America poll, those who sleep less than 6
hours per night on workdays are significantly more likely to be obese than
those who sleep 8 hours or more (41% vs. 28%).
12. Why Sleep Is So Important
The work sleep does
In REM sleep -- stage 4 in the sleep cycle -- the brain processes and
synthesizes memories and emotions, activity that is crucial for learning
and higher-level thought. A lack of REM sleep results in slower cognitive
and social processing, problems with memory, and difficulty concentrating.
The same 2008 sleep poll found that people who sleep less than 6 hours
per night during the workweek are twice as likely as their better-rested
colleagues to report difficulty in concentrating.
13. Why Sleep Is So Important
A deficit in sleep leads to deficits in work performance
Performing complex tasks and navigating complicated relationships -- the
heart and soul of a manager's work -- both become much harder to do
when REM sleep suffers. And when you cut back on sleep, your REM
sleep suffers the most.
14. Why Sleep Is So Important
A deficit in sleep leads to deficits in work performance
There are two reasons for this:
Your brain, when confronted with sleep deprivation, opts
for lighter sleep and hence less REM sleep.
Later sleep cycles tend to have longer REM periods than
cycles earlier in the night. When you sleep through only one or two
cycles instead of three or four, your REM sleep
is disproportionately affected.
15. Why Sleep Is So Important
A deficit in sleep leads to deficits in work performance
When your brain is starved of REM sleep, concentrating on a single
activity is challenging. Multitasking -- an inescapable bane of managerial
work -- becomes exponentially more so.
16. Why Sleep Is So Important
A deficit in sleep leads to deficits in work performance
A deficit of REM sleep also makes it tougher to pick up on nuances in
discussions or negotiations.
17. Why Sleep Is So Important
A deficit in sleep leads to deficits in work performance
"When you're trying to understand the subtext of what someone is saying,
your brain needs to use a bunch of programs at the same time,"
says Dr. Gandis Mazeika,
Head of Sleep Medicine Northwest in Seattle. "If you're sleep deprived,
that's hard to do."
18. Why Sleep Is So Important
Getting more from the sleep you get
Given the demands facing managers today -- working in a 24/7, always-on
environment is a big one -- a full night's sleep is sometimes an impossible
dream. Fortunately, there are ways to get more out of the time you do
manage to spend in sleep:
19. Why Sleep Is So Important
Getting more from the sleep you get
Avoid caffeine.
Cut out caffeinated coffee, tea, and soda ideally 10 hours before bedtime
-- and chocolate, too. When you sleep, make it a commitment.
20. Why Sleep Is So Important
Getting more from the sleep you get
Try to nod off quickly.
To fall asleep fast, you can occasionally use a sleeping supplement. But
be careful. For example, the much-prescribed Ambien is specifically for
sleeping seven to eight hours. If you don't have that much time, don't use
it. Although some antidepressants can help you feel drowsy enough to fall
asleep, they also tend to compromise REM, says Dr. O'Brien. A more
healthful approach for some is to meditate a half-hour before hitting the
bed.
21. Why Sleep Is So Important
Getting more from the sleep you get
Darken the room completely.
Your brain creates a hormone called melatonin that senses when it's dark
out and primes you for sleep. If you try to sleep amid too much light, your
brain may decide you're not ready for bedtime after all. So turn off the TV,
shut down the computer, turn the clock to the wall, and close the blinds
tightly. Use an eye mask if you're sleeping during the daytime.
22. Why Sleep Is So Important
Getting more from the sleep you get
Sleep in a restful environment.
Make sure the room is quiet and your Blackberry is out of hearing range.
Sleep on a comfortable mattress; Dr. Mazeika advises you get a new one
every five to 10 years.
23. Why Sleep Is So Important
Exploit the power of power naps
Don't forget that brief day-time naps can be helpful. If at all possible, close
your office door (if you have one) and try to doze for 10 to 20 minutes.
24. Why Sleep Is So Important
Exploit the power of power naps
"Power naps are real and help you feel refreshed," says Dr. O'Brien.
But keep the naps short, he warns. With a longer nap, you're likely to
wake up while in deep sleep and feel worse than before. It can take up to
30 minutes to feel fully alert after awakening from deep sleep.
By keeping your nap to 10-20 minutes, you should be able to achieve
stage 2 in the sleep cycle and wake up energized rather than groggy. A
short power nap should provide enough of a boost to keep your
performance going strong the rest of the day -- and is more effective (as
well as healthier) than a cup of coffee.
25. Why Sleep Is So Important
Action note
Please use these simple helpful tips and do take care of your health
because if you are in good health you will get a lot of wealth but if you
have bad health than you cannot buy your health from your wealth.
“Even you cannot buy your sleep”
Thank you,
amirsaiftaz@gmail.com
