Time to make sleeping a priority

Time to move sleep to the top of your priority list

It might be time to move sleep to the top of your priority list. Only 10% of Americans are currently prioritizing sleep over other areas in their lives. Sleep deprivation affects your mental health, physical health, memory, and focus. A lack of sleep interferes with our day-to-day function. Thus making it difficult to perform well at our jobs. Our bodies need a chance to rest. Without a good night of sleep, our body doesn’t get enough time to recover before the next day and our minds struggle to process and retain information from the day.

Sleep is a luxury

According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleeping less than 6 hours each night is one of the best predictors of on-the-job burnout. Sleep deprivation is costing American companies $63.2 billion a year in lost productivity. To keep up high levels of productivity and concentration, many people need to get a full 7 hours of sleep. For many of us, getting a full 7 hours is considered a luxury. Unfortunately, not everybody can always find the time for it. And while you might not recognize them immediately, the long term effects are real.

A lack of sleep can alter your attention and make it difficult to focus during the working hours. Although you might not notice at first, a lack of sleep affects your memory and attention. A study by UC Berkely has linked sleep deprivation with anxiety. According to the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, as many as 90% of patients with depression will have sleep quality complaints. 40% of those patients with about 40% of patients complaining of problems initiating sleep.

So what do you do when you spend hours tossing and turning before eventually falling asleep?

What to do when you can’t sleep

• Hide your alarm clock
• Read a book before bed
• Kick your pets out of bed (sorry, we know this one isn’t easy)
• Make a cup of tea
• Swap pillow or pillowcase
• Get up and move throughout the house

A lot of small changes, add up to big results

Don’t spend the next several nights tossing and turning until you fall asleep. Decide to make the change today. It’s very important to practice good sleep habits. We can’t guarantee if you do these tips tonight, you’ll have the best night of sleep ever, but you are taking the right steps forward. And for those who still struggle to fall asleep tonight, try and make up sleep during the weekend. Add an extra hour or two on Friday night. On Sunday head to bed an hour early. A lot of small changes, add up to big results.