My alarm goes off at 4:10am. My first appointment of the day is at 5:30am. My last will end at 7pm. I make my way to bed by 9:30pm and then repeat this process for the next 5 days. This has been my schedule for the last 10 years. Funny thing is although this may seem like a lot. I know quite a few people who work hours like this. In fact we Americans work more hours and take less vacations than other westernized countries.
We are workers. We put in the hours. Aren’t we told that this is what it takes to be successful? Aren’t most of the successful people you know doing just this?
If I don’t get to bed by 9:30 and get the sleep I need, then I may not feel the effects the next day. But by the time the end of the week comes, I’m a zombie.
When I feel myself struggling towards the end of the week, because I haven’t gotten enough sleep. I will often take a nap in the afternoon. Now I realize that a lot of people don’t have this luxury. But a 20 to 30 minute rest is all it takes to recharge your body.
Sleeping is overrated!! Not really. I’ve known many college students that have come down with colds right after final exams. Why is this? Well they have been spending many nights before their tests studying to ready themselves for that one day. Sleep deprivation breaks down your immune system, hence the cold.
Not only does missed sleep effect your immune system but it can also decrease your
- Motivation
- Patience
- Judgment
- Performance
- And much more
Although, this is a general guideline and needs vary from person to person. Research done at the Scripps Clinic Sleep Center in La Jolla, Calif., has shown that 6.5 to 7.5 hours of sleep a night is ideal.
So what about you? How much sleep do you get? How much do you think you require? How do you feel if you haven’t gotten enough sleep? What can you do to change this? (hint: the answer isn’t more caffeine!)
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