Between that late-night show you love and your early morning workouts, it’s easy to come up with excuses to skimp on sleep. Find out why you should make sleep a priority. Believe it or not, it could help you advance your career.
Better rest can
improve your career
Regardless of what you do for a living, you need to be sharp to advance your career. If you’re not performing well, you can’t make progress toward your career goals. Lack of sleep functions as an anchor holding you back from your potential. Learn how to get more sleep so you can live and work at your best.
You probably need more sleep than you’re getting
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that nearly a quarter of the U.S. population doesn’t get enough sleep. Do you know how much you should be getting each night? Adults need around 7-8 hours. If you get up at night to go to the bathroom, tend to a child, deal with snoring or any other interruptions, shave that time off of how much sleep you think you’re getting. Tossing and turning in bed in the dark doesn’t count, either. Your sleep totals may not be as healthy as you thought.
You pay for lack of sleep
Consider what lack of sleep can do to your body. Not sleeping enough can increase your risk of a variety of health issues, including depression. Chronic sleep issues can raise your risk of cancer, diabetes and obesity. Insufficient sleep also affects your mood and productivity. Some of these risks are long-term, but the truth is, just one bad night’s sleep can put a damper on your entire day. With this in mind, don’t you feel motivated to get more rest?
You need sleep to succeed at work
You’re not a teenager anymore. Pulling an all-nighter won’t get you anything but a headache and a raging bad mood. The best way to prep for a big day of work is to rest your body and mind with a good night’s sleep. Just like eating and working out, sleeping helps to keep your body running smoothly. You need rest to do the things you want to do. Whether you’re a surgeon, a teacher or an artist, you need sleep to succeed. If you operate machinery or a vehicle for work, sleep is especially important for safety.
You can sleep easy with simple habit adjustments
Commit to giving yourself a better foundation at work. Start improving your sleep tonight. Here are some tips to help you rest:
- Eliminate electronics, light and other distractions from your bedroom. This means keeping your cell phone out of reach, no matter how addicted you are to Candy Crush.
- Avoid stress triggers in your sleep area. Anything that causes you stress and anxiety needs to stay out of the bedroom. Say no to your agenda and notebook computer.
- Prepare yourself for bedtime. Create a bedtime routine that teaches your body and mind that it’s time to snooze. Take a hot bath or shower, change into soft pajamas, brush your teeth and turn out the lights.
- Consider sleep supplements. As you try to commit to a better bedtime, natural supplements like chamomile and melatonin can help in the short term.
- Eliminate the stuff that keeps you up. Alcohol, caffeine and nicotine make it harder to rest well at night. Quit smoking and avoid drinking alcohol or caffeinated beverages in the evening.
- Work out. Staying physically fit and getting activity each day will help you get to sleep at a decent time.
- See your doctor. If you experience insomnia regularly, you may need a doctor’s guidance to get more sleep. Your doctor may prescribe a sleep aid or help you make lifestyle adjustments that will improve the quality of your sleep.
More career advice
How to successfully ask your boss for a pay raise
Strategic uses for office gossip
Seven tips for career changers
Leave a Comment