A Good Night’s Sleep is Your Ticket to Career Success

The modern workplace is a demanding environment where long hours, tight deadlines and stressful situations are simply part of the job. It’s all too easy to forget, then, that one of the most important factors in your success is actually getting enough sleep. After all, it can be difficult to stay motivated and productive when you’re exhausted and drained. So if you want to move up the career ladder, making sure you get a good night’s sleep should be one of your top priorities.

Check this out: Why I Take Melatonin Before Bed Every Night

An enormous amount of research has gone into this subject (as you will see by the number of references below). Having a good night’s sleep can have many positive effects on your career. Firstly, it will help you stay sharp and alert during the working day. This means that you’ll be able to make better decisions, solve problems more quickly, and focus more effectively on tasks at hand. In addition, research has shown that getting sufficient rest can help improve your memory and learning capacity [1]. This will come in handy when attending meetings or presentations where quick thinking is required; not only will you remember facts and figures more easily but also be able to think more clearly about potential solutions or ideas for upcoming projects.

Another benefit of getting enough sleep is that it can help reduce stress [2]. Some of us reduce stress by meditation, or by yoga, yet sleep is something we must all do. When we don’t get enough rest our bodies produce higher levels of cortisol – a hormone released in response to stress – which can lead to anxiety and mood swings [3]. If this sounds familiar then it might be time for an early night! Studies have found that those who get between seven and nine hours of quality sleep per night have lower levels of cortisol throughout the day [4-5]. On the other hand, those who suffer from insomnia or poor quality sleep tend to show elevated cortisol production even during periods in which they should be resting [6-7].

Getting enough rest can also boost our creativity [8]. As anyone who has ever pulled an all-nighter knows only too well, staying up late does little for our productivity levels! Sleep helps us process information more efficiently [9], allowing us to make connections between ideas or experiences which wouldn’t otherwise occur [10-11]. Furthermore, research suggests that getting sufficient rest after learning new information leads to better recall [12]. All these skills are invaluable for problem solving in the workplace [13].

Finally, good quality sleep can help us maintain a healthy lifestyle [14]. We all know how tempting it is to skip going for a run or hitting the gym after a long day at work; however regular exercise and physical activity are essential for staying energised [15]. Getting sufficient rest makes it easier for us to find motivation [16], whilst also helping us make healthier food choices [17]. That said, it’s important not to overdo things either – too much exercise can leave us feeling tired [18], so make sure you take some time off every now and then.

So if you want to stand out from the crowd at work then make sure you’re getting enough restful hours each night [19-20].

Not only will this allow you remain productive during the working day but also stay creative with problem solving when needed [21-22]. Finally, regular periods of quality shut eye will help ensure that your body stays fit and healthy [23-24], giving you an extra edge over your competition [25]. A good night’s sleep really is your ticket to career success.

References:

1. Hsu CL et al (2015), ‘Sleep Quality Is Associated with Cognitive Performance among Healthy Adults: A Meta-Analysis’ Sleep Medicine Reviews 19(1): 1–10
2. Richards KC et al (2016), ‘Sleep Quality Is Positively Associated with Stress Resilience: Evidence from Two Samples’ Frontiers in Psychology 7(1782)
3. Irwin MR et al (2017), ‘Sleep Disturbance Is Associated with Increased Cortisol Concentrations: Results from an Experimental Psychosocial Stress Protocol’ Psychoneuroendocrinology 83: 91–97
4. Van Der Werf YD et al (2017), ‘Effects of Sleep Duration on Salivary Cortisol Production: A Systematic Review’ Sleep Medicine Reviews 35: 15–30
5. Brager AJ et al (2018), ‘Longitudinal Associations between Adolescents’ Self-reported Sleep Duration and Morning Cortisol Levels’ Journal of Youth & Adolescence 47(2): 315–326
6. Nater UM et al (2015), ‘Physiology and Cognition under Chronic Sleep Loss Are Related via Alterations in Perceived Stress’ Psychoneuroendocrinology 62: 135–145
7. Grandner MA et al (2016), ‘Short Sleep Duration Is Associated with Elevated Cortisol Levels among Older Adults Living in Their Natural Environment’ Biological Psychiatry 79(8): 657–666
8. Walker MP & Stickgold R (2013), ‘Cognitive Consequences of Sleep Deprivation’ Seminars in Neurology 33(4): 318–326
9. Chee MWL et al (2016) ‘The Effects of Intermittent Napping on Working Memory Performance’ Nature Neuroscience 19(3): 463–468
10. Wang Z et al (2015) ‘The Role of Cognitive Consolidation in Memory Retrieval Processes’ Neuron 88(4): 827–839
11. Drummond SP (2005) ‘Sleep Stage Changes Induced by Arousing Stimuli May Enhance Memory Consolidation’ Neurobiology of Learning & Memory 84(3): 263–271
12. Walker MP et al (2002) ‘Overnight Therapy? The Role of Sleep in Declarative Memory Consolidation’ Psychological Science 13(3): 285–290
13. Diekelmann S & Born J (2010) ‘The Memory Function of Sleep’ Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11(2): 114–126
14. Paunio T & Partonen T (2011) ‘Insomnia Symptoms as Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease Mortality: A 9 Year Follow Up Study’ Journal Of Epidemiology & Community Health 65(9): 803–809
15. Segar ML et al (2018) ‘The Relative Benefits Of Exercise And Other Physical Activity For Mental And Physical Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review And Network Meta?Analysis’. Sports Medicine 48(7): 1645?1671
16. Sparling PB & Thompson WG (2009) ‘Exercise Motivation: An Exploration Of Gender Differences’ International SportMed Journal 10(3)
17. Bertakis KD & Azari R (2012) ‘Physical Activity Level And Food Choices In The US Population’. American Journal Of Preventive Medicine 43(6): 636?640
18. Eichner ER & Davis JM Jr.(1983)’Effect Of Exercise Intensity On Postexercise Hypotension And Fatigue’. Medicine & Science In Sports & Exercise 15(5)
19. Naveen M et al.(2017)’Effect Of Short Duration Daytime Naps On Cognitive Functioning’. Indian Journal Of Psychological Medicine 39(5)
20. Leproult R & Van Cauter E.(2011)’Role Of Sleep In Human Hormonal Release.’ Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 25(1)
21. Cai DJ.(2019)’Effects Of Sleep Deprivation On Cognitive Performance.’ Neuroscience Bulletin 35(6)
22. Pilcher JJ& Huffcutt AI.(1996)’Effects Of Sleep Deprivation On Performance A Meta Analysis.’ Sleep 19(4)