It’s Sunday night as I’m writing this. Truthfully, it’s closer to Monday morning than Sunday night at this point. This, friends, is when most of the posts here are written. After a weekend of ideas percolating, late Sunday has brought this post to life.
This is a bad thing.
Why? Just ask Arianna Huffington and Sheryl Sandberg. In a recent event in San Francisco, they both cited being well-rested as a secret to their success. Edison and Tesla might have been famous for getting by on a few hours of sleep, but most adults need eight solid hours of sleep to function at their best. So I ask you again, how are you sleeping?
Decision-making, cognitive ability, and creativity are all connected to sleep.
Friends of mine who use Apple Watches to track their sleep tell me from all the tips the app gives them how important sleep is. Being tired doesn’t just mean you’ll be grabbing more coffee than usual; it actually means your capacity for work is diminished.
And it adds up.
Get six hours of sleep one night, four another, maybe a tad over seven the next…you’re still running close to a full night’s sleep behind after three days! So getting a little extra sleep on the weekends helps, but it doesn’t solve the problem. We, as North Americans, are becoming chronically sleep-deprived zombies. The more sleep-deprived we become, the harder it becomes to concentrate on tasks. Everything becomes a little more muddled. So, what else can be done to keep a better edge for the day besides trying to get to bed earlier?
How about a power nap?
Naps are okay
A friend once told me, “I knew I was really an adult when I couldn’t think of a time I didn’t want a nap.” We often scoff at the afternoon nap, but a quick 10 to 20-minute nap can be just the ticket to bring things back into focus. If you push it to 30 to 60 minutes, you might feel worse and groggy from sleep inertia, but if you go for 90 minutes, you’ll complete an entire sleep cycle and be refreshed. While most of us can’t afford a 90-minute break, 20 minutes to collect thoughts, mull a problem, or clear your head can give you both a recharge and creativity and inspiration.
Maybe a bit off-topic, but…
Yes, ensuring you’re getting enough sleep sounds like something your mother would tell you; however, it’s also something that a good leader needs to remember. You need to take care of yourself to be at your best. You need rest. You need time to recharge. You need time for family and hobbies. If people who have achieved great things cite being well-rested as a secret to their success, should we ignore it because we think it’s too simple?
Exactly.
