Is your lack of sleep costing you more than irritability?

Lack of sleep impairs your decision-making skills

Lack of sleep also has a high price in terms of health

• Other potential implications of a lack of sleep are cardiovascular disease, stroke, obesity, diabetes, depression, and social withdrawal.
• The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) states people are 12 per cent more likely to die early if they don’t get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep every night.

How much is the right amount? Most research says between seven and nine hours is ideal. But beware. Some research has stated that too much sleep, over ten hours regularly could also be detrimental. In conclusion, as more people suffer from a lack of sleep you are probably in the minority here.

The benefits of a good night’s sleep

1. Your focus will improve. When you are feeling alert your mind stays clearer and sharper. Moreover, you will find it easier to concentrate on your project or goals.
2. Your ability to learn better and remember more increases. Furthermore, you will have sharper insights and an increased ability to make decisions. Consider how many important decisions you are responsible for making every day in your business? The NSF shows that decision-making skills can improve by as much as 4 per cent with a good night’s sleep.
3. A good nights sleep helps consolidate information. The 2007 Harvard study says this is “essential for learning new information.”
4. You are more likely to feel better. More alive, alert, focused, healthier and happier. Feeling alive and alert is a much better way to live life than feeling tired and lethargic due to a lack of sleep.

Seven tips for getting a better night’s sleep

1. Be consistent in your sleep routine.

Keep your routine as regular as possible. Even if a work event means a late night or two in the week, try not to catch up at the weekend, as you are fighting the body’s natural cycles. Set your alarm for a similar time and get up anyway. Try changing your waking up time, and keep a diary of how you feel. For instance, times when you feel tired and when you are more awake. Work out what your optimal number of hours sleep are to avoid a chronic and consistent lack of sleep. You may discover, as I did, that when I got up earlier and exercised I was no more tired than when I slept later. Furthermore, to help you sleep better, you could consider a weighted blanket.

Turn of your computers and gadgets before going to bed

2. Avoid blue light one to two hours before bed.

Turn off your computer and gadgets at least one hour before bed and don’t use your gadgets to read at bedtime. Stop checking your social media accounts and Facebook posts! Turn your phone off. Blue light emitted from most electronic gadgets destroys melatonin, one of the hormones that help you sleep. I wear a pair of special glasses in the evenings designed to do exactly this and help you get a great night’s sleep. They have helped me go to bed with a calmer and quieter mind. Check them out here. Furthermore, try reading or finding a different way to unwind. You might find the art of conversation or reading a book quite liberating.

“Humans evolved on a planet without electric light over thousands and thousands of generations. The body is designed to be alert and awake during daytime hours and to sleep at night. Now we have a 24-7 society that isn’t in harmony with our biological design.” Professor George Brainard

Clear your stressors before bed

3. Work on clearing your stressors.

Stress will almost always negatively impact your sleep and may increase a lack of sleep. If you have a lot going on in your mind, write them down. Creating lists prevents you from waking up in the middle of the night thinking about all those things you didn’t do. If you have worries or concerns, take some time journalling them on a piece of paper. Most worries are inflated by our tendency to over-think. However, most worries are usually never as bad as we imagine them to be. Learn some simple meditation techniques or conscious breathing practices to still your mind before bed-time.

Create rituals around your sleep 

4. Focus on creating rituals in your day.

The more you create rituals at the start and the end of your day, the more in control of your life you will feel. Rituals are like keystone habits for your day and will help you combat a continued lack of sleep. Create a few simple rituals before you go to bed, such as meditating, practising relaxation or writing down three things you are grateful for. These help you set yourself up for a good night’s sleep. When you take a few minutes to focus on what you did well and what you are grateful for, you feel better. As your body creates chemicals that match your feelings, you are conditioning yourself to naturally create good chemicals more often. A natural antidote to stress which also causes lack of sleep.

Start your day with a set of healthy rituals. Decide in advance what time you will get up and what you will do upon waking. For example, it might be exercising, drinking a glass of water, eating a healthy breakfast, walking your dog, planning your day, or connecting with your goals. Morning rituals will improve the rest of your day. Guaranteed. You will be more productive, accomplished and ultimately feel in a better mood. And of course, success fuels more success.

Create non-negotiable nights where you do something nice for yourself

5. Take time for self-care.

Most people are way too busy and forget to look at themselves. Have at least one night a week which is your designated self-care night. Make it a non-negotiable. Furthermore, aim to make this one of your keystone habits in your life. Read a book, play cards, watch something funny, have a bath or simply do nothing. Go to bed early as your antidote to a lack of sleep. As you have gone to bed early, wake up a few minutes earlier and give yourself the gift of time to do something just for you. Something that you enjoy and makes you feel good.

6. Have a shorter ‘feeding window.’

Eat less at night and cut down the number of hours for your ‘feeding window,’ You may have heard of intermittent fasting? Research has shown that the benefits of intermittent fasting are vast. Moreover, may help you improve your sleep and boost your energy. Check out the fast diet.

7. Exercise regularly

Exercise is probably the greatest activity you can participate in to improve your night’s sleep. In one research study, people who exercise advised they slept better. Furthermore, not only does you feel physically, exercising creates endorphins which help boost your mood. When you feel better you are more productive and fulfilled and likely to sleep better. Moreover, exercise is a positive health benefit.

Ultimately, you are the one who determines exactly how much sleep you require and if you are sleep deprived. Decide today that getting a good night’s sleep consistently is of high importance to your overall wellbeing and living your best life. Create good habits and rituals around sleep and bedtime. Stick to your new rituals and test and measure to ensure your habits are supporting an optimal night’s sleep.

Not only will your mood improve, but so will your health, productivity and life fulfilment. And that has to be a good thing!