*Contributed by Frank Apodaca
“From reading too much, and sleeping too little, his brain dried up on him and he lost his judgment.” – Miguel de Cervantes
The above quote, by the novelist of the legendary tale Don Quixote, vividly describes how a person who works too hard and ignores sleep loses the most important tool to his success, his brain. While we know, scientifically, that a person’s brain will not dry up like a raisin if they lack sleep, there is no denying that when we have very little snooze time, our brains are affected in a number of ways, which can make a difference in your performance at work.
A Lack of Sleep Will Cost You Money
A 2010 survey of more than 4000 workers employed by four corporations in the United States found that the link between sleep and productivity can be rather costly for a business. The results showed that folks who suffered from sleep disorders or reported an insufficient amount of sleep were more likely to produce less, lack in their performance, and prone to accidents.
The price? Almost $2000 in loss due to low productivity per employee every year.
Create a Better Sleeping Space
A great way to ensure you sleep well through the night and are on top of your game the next day is to create a bedroom that is inviting to your brain and your body. Minimize the clutter in your sleep area, and make it a space that does little more than encourage an easy drift off to dreaming. Also, your bed should be created, from the ground up, with a great mattress as the anchor.
Some sleepers prefer a soft mattress while others like their bed to be firm. Either way, mattresses like the Layla, made of memory foam, offer a night of sleep filled with comfort and support by remaining cool through the night and offering choices in firmness. You can search for reviews too if you need help choosing the best mattress.
Building a great bedroom can be one of the many building blocks on your road to success. A welcoming room will create a great night of sleep, which will clear your mind so it can recognize all your opportunities.
No Distractions
If you are able to limit your distractions when you are headed to sleep, more than not, you’ll be able to bounce back from distractions at work more quickly and focus on the task at hand. When you haven’t had a great night of rest, your brain isn’t able to perform at it’s peak ability. So it is only logical that when your brain isn’t running on full steam focusing on important tasks will increase in difficulty, which, in the end, will cost you or your company money.
No Stress
Getting a great night of sleep is crucial to stress levels, especially in a competitive work environment where daily performance is not only monitored, is highly significant. You may not have a stressful job at all, but for some reason you are stressed when you are there. A poor night of sleep could be the culprit for your racing heart.
No Burnout
Are you not enjoying your day at work? I realize that’s a loaded question because a good number of readers don’t enjoy their job. Still, is your annoyance level for coworkers, clients, customers, or pretty much anyone in general, on high?
Our jobs are important tools in our lives. They not only provide the means needed to pay for our homes, food, and other basic life necessities, they are the channel for our little extras, like vacations, or savings.
Careers also give us a sense of purpose and give us a sense of teamwork. After a good day’s work we can be left feeling a sense of pride in the great job we have accomplished.
A lack of sleep can leave us tired, which ignites our annoyance, which can make us hate our jobs. Let’s face it, life is so much better when you don’t hate your job.
No Mistakes
As humans it is our job to make a mistake now and again. Yet, people who have lacked in ample hibernation, typically have a delayed response time and are more often than not inaccurate half of the time.
No Forgetting
Your brain requires an adequate amount of rest each night to recharge from all the energy it exhausted that day, and if it doesn’t get it, your brain just doesn’t work that well. One of the most obvious effects of bad sleep is with a person’s ability to remember. Short-term memory is affected and long-term memories are harder to obtain.
No Bad Decisions
If you had a life altering decision to make wouldn’t you want a great night’s sleep to think it over? I would. Your decisions at work may not be life or death, but they are significant. I have already gone over the vast areas our jobs influence. Continual bad choices at your place of business can put you on the boss’s radar and leave a negative impression.
Success is important in life, and our individual ideas of progress differ. Still, there is very few people who feel good after being unproductive. Productivity promotes a healthy self-esteem and a positive experience in your working life. An undisturbed night will improve your productivity and the results reaching out from that are endless.