ARTICLE | ILLUMINATION

And You Thought Sleep Can’t Boost Your Productivity?

An analysis of whether sleep can boost our productivity or not.

This is one of the most heavily debated topics of the 21st century. Does sleep impact our productivity? If yes how much do we need it?

Some say they are doing great with just 3 hours of sleep while others say that even 7 hours is not enough for them.

In this article, I will be presenting you with all the information that I found useful and let you make the final judgment for yourself.

The Research

I will start off with a recent study published in April 2018. The research examined the relationship between sleep symptoms and work productivity in a diverse community sample.

1,007 adults in the age group of 22–60 volunteered in this test. The correlation between sleep and productivity was studied by tracking their progress. The conclusion was clear and concise:

“Sleep duration (both short and long), insomnia, sleepiness, and snoring were all associated with decreased work productivity. Among sleep symptoms, insomnia demonstrated the greatest impact on work productivity. Sleep should be considered an important element in workplace health.”

So, it is clear that sleep impacts productivity.

The Problems

Some of the successful individuals such as Indra Nooyi, Tom Ford, and Angela Ahrendts are said to thrive with very little sleep. On the contrary, Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates need at least 7–8 hours of sleep each night to function productively the next day.

Despite the differences, we are well aware of the problems less sleep can bring us.

Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan were said to survive with only 4 hours of sleep. But both of them went on to have Alzheimer’s disease. Lack of sleep for a long period of time can be the roots of diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.

Other than the physical problems, even creativity decreases when our minds are tired. We also tend to get angrier.

I’m sure you will relate to this. How do we feel when we are working 90–100 hours per week on a corporate project? Don’t we feel tired and exhausted? We get way less productive. The worst is that the amount of caffeine we consume just to stay awake can cause insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, increased heart, and breathing rate among others.

Don’t we feel groggy and sluggish when we are sleep deprived? I certainly do. When we are sleep deprived, our response time increases. So, if we need to make quick decisions at our work, we will be more prone to making mistakes.

“Not sleeping is not a badge of honor anymore.” — Rafael Sarandeses

Consistently getting less sleep will make you burnout more quickly than you expect.

The Benefits Of a Good Night’s Sleep

Doctors and researchers have always been telling us that sleep is important for our body, mind, and soul to function well.

How do we feel in the morning after a good night’s sleep? Don’t we feel more alert, more relaxed, and more happy?

We feel more focused and overall confidence increases. That results in better decision making. Research also suggests that sleep improves memory.

I don’t remember but I read somewhere:

“Make Sleep An Investment.”

Never judge the quality of sleep with the number of hours you spent in your bed.

So, here are some of the ways I improve the quality of my night’s sleep.

A Sleep Routine

A routine will help us build the habit of going to bed the exact same time every day. You will be surprised by the impact this habit will bring to your life. For me, whenever it’s 11 pm, I tend to feel sleepy by default. As if my mind is signaling me: It’s time. Go to bed.

Best Possible Environment For Sleep

Now obviously if someone if playing System Of A Down at full volume, you won’t get good sleep, if at all. It is necessary that we try to keep the environment peaceful, noiseless, and cool.

Don’t clutter your bedroom with unnecessary stuff. A minimalistic approach helps.

Minimize Blue Light Exposure

It is always advised to put our gadgets away at least one hour before sleep. But if you need to work, try to minimize the blue light exposure to your eyes. You can buy a spectacle with such features.

Less Caffeine

Consuming less caffeine throughout the day is one of the crucial aspects of getting good sleep. But most of us can’t seem to stay away from tea or coffee.

Daily Exercise

You can relate exercise to somehow everything. Even a brisk walk, jogging, running would certainly do.

I will attach some of the articles on Medium that you can read to understand in-depth about this topic.

1. Chris Davidson tracked data to reveal the best habits for improving my own sleep.

2. Aytekin Tank talked about how the need for sleep and the routine will vary from person to person and why we need to stop worry.

3. Rafael Sarandeses talks about 3 simple tactics that can make a difference when it comes to sleep.

4. Connie Ragen Green talks about 5 benefits of good night's sleep.

5. The Science of Sleep and Productivity by Zapier.

So what are your thoughts on this? Let me know in the comments below.

See you next time. :)