From Tom Rath’s Eat, Move, Sleep (2013)

Getting enough sleep is an important part of staying healthy and productive

Nowadays a lot of people don’t get enough sleep. Sure, we’re all busy, but sleep is something you should never overlook. There is a common misconception that people who sleep less are harder workers. They stay up all night to work.

It may seem like staying up until 5 a.m. to prepare for a presentation the next morning is dedication, but the truth is quite the opposite. You’ll be less alert the next day if you didn’t get enough sleep the night before, so your presentation won’t be at its best. In fact, studies have shown that just 90 minutes of sleep can reduce your alertness by a third.

Think of it this way: would you rather be on a flight where the pilot gets a good night’s sleep, or a flight of a pilot that spends the night researching landing techniques?

There’s a reason we don’t get enough sleep. In today’s fast-paced social life, sleep is seen as a sign of weakness. The author realized this from his parents when he was young, so in his teens, even though he didn’t have to work, he still had a habit of staying up late. Over time, this had an effect on his academic performance. He felt that going to bed was wrong or a sign of laziness.

The most productive people actually have the habit of getting enough sleep. You may have heard of the famous study that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to be successful in any field. But did you know of a similar study that top performers sleep 8 hours and 36 minutes a night?

By comparison, the average American sleeps just 6 hours and 51 minutes on weekends. Sleep is an important part of achieving your goals, so don’t take it as a sign of laziness.

 

Tom Rath – Eat, Move, Sleep