How Sleep Can Make You a Better Leader

*Contributed by Will.

Meet Jeremy, a rising star in his company, who prides himself for waking up at 4 am almost every morning and going to bed late at night. He wants to make sure everything is properly done before he goes home from work, and is always available for a consultation even late in the evening.

Do you identify with Jeremy? Do you think he will become a wonderful team leader, accomplishing wonderful things? Many people strive for the hustler effect, where your life is neatly wrapped around your career and sleep is just something you do whenever there’s time.

After all, we all know that hard work and long hours represent the path to success, right? Well, not so much. According to recent studies, a chronic lack of sleep can make you less productive, and brings a multitude of health problems your way.

Every decision you make at work or in your day-to-day life, requires brain function, but lack of sleep leads to impaired cognitive processes and prevents the brain to function to 100%. As a result, your productivity lowers, it becomes more difficult to stay focused, and your ability to solve complex problems fast and concise lowers.

How Sleep Can Make You a Better Leader

Sleep Habits of the Greatest Leaders

While there are studies that prove someone who hasn’t slept for 16 to 19 hours has the same ability to function as a person with a blood alcohol level of 0.05%, we still have leaders claiming their sleep is not as important as their work.

For instance, Donald Trump and Thomas Edison share the same sleep habits (about three to four hours per night, while Marissa Mayer (Yahoo CEO) sleeps about four to six hours per night. However, Bill Gates is more sleep aware so he packs between seven and nine hours per night (as does Jeff Bezos).

As you can see, highly successful people are all over the map when it comes to sleep habits, but they are the exception from the general rule. Most people need to rest properly in order to make good decisions.

How to Improve your Sleep

Some people take naps during the day (to catch up with what they lost during the night); some people like to drink warm milk before bed; but all people who want a good night’s sleep buy a comfortable mattress that meets their needs!

I recently read on www.MattressMatchers.com that a bad sleeping surface can lead to lower back pain, restless nights, and stiff joints, which will significantly lower your life quality. I know this to be true from experience, so if you ever feel your sleep is lacking in support, make sure the mattress is created to support your habits (sleep position and pressure points).

In Conclusion

While it is true that a great leader has to work more than the average employee, it’s also true that they need good health habits to make it. Sleep, a healthy diet, and exercise are a huge part of a leader’s secret recipe for success, because these are the foundation to determination, logical thinking, and a constant desire to better oneself.

A good night’s sleep will provide the energy you need to participate in meetings and keep active in your pursuit for a better position in your company or a better position of the company you’re running on the market.

*Contributed by Will.