The power of sleep: improving brain health, wellbeing, and productivity
May 26, 2023Finding time for self-care can be challenging - especially when you're balancing work, personal, and family demands...
... trying to do all of the things... for all of the people... all of the time.
Trying to improve your health, wellbeing, and productivity while also juggling a million things and trying to be as efficient as possible? Consider prioritizing quality sleep.
The science is clear - improving your sleep can have a powerful effect on your brain health, overall wellbeing, and productivity.
In this blog post, we'll hit the highlights of how optimizing your sleep can help elevate your life - both professionally and personally.
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Recharge and revitalize: The key to optimal brain function
Adequate rest enhances concentration, attention, memory, and overall cognitive efficiency. In other words, the better you focus, the more efficiently you learn and work - this means better performance and less wasted energy. Not getting enough sleep makes us feel drowsy and foggy, negatively impacting attention, reaction time, learning, and complex thinking. If not addressed, sleep debt can accumulate more and more over time, resulting in chronic feelings of fogginess and fatigue, negatively affecting our efficiency and productivity. Bottom line: Prioritize sleep to help optimize your thinking skills.
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Boost creativity and problem-solving
Have you ever heard the phrase, "Sleep on it"? Well, there just might be something to it. Studies show a link between a well-rested mind and innovative or creative thinking. Though your body is resting, your brain is hard at work while you sleep, processing memories and linking concepts and experiences outside of your awareness. Thanks to a combination of REM and non-REM sleep, sleep can fuel your ability to think outside the box and work on those complex problems from the comfort of your own bed.
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Enhance your mood: managing stress and maintaining emotional health
Stress is a near-constant companion in this day and age. Thankfully, sleep is a restorative time for our brain to recover from stress - both physical and mental. Research shows an association between insufficient sleep and vulnerability to various mood and psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety. Ever felt "on edge" after a fitful night of sleep? That wasn't your imagination. Not getting enough sleep has been linked to irritability, anxiety, and other less-than-pleasant emotional states, as well as to daytime fatigue, which can result in us being less likely to engage in mood-boosting behaviors that improve our mental health, such as exercise and socializing.
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Learning and personal growth
Continuous learning is vital for professional (as well as personal) growth. Sleep plays an important role in learning and memory consolidation, optimizing your ability to absorb and retain information. So read, learn, and study - but, then, be sure to get some sleep!
I know it is all too easy to overlook the power of sleep, viewing those 7-8 hours at night as negotiable - an opportunity to squeeze just a bit more into a jam-packed day. But, working harder and longer is not the right answer if it means sacrificing sleep and self-care.
The main point is this: sleep is important for our health, wellbeing, and mood. It helps our brain to consolidate information and work more efficiently, while also playing a role in our emotional regulation, with downstream effects on our overall health, wellbeing, and our personal and professional lives.
How has prioritizing sleep impacted your productivity, mood, or productivity?
Commit to making sleep a priority - and, then, pay attention to the benefits of a well-rested mind.
