Get the Sleep You Need for Optimal Performance

No, this is not about doing anything improper! This is about getting enough sleep – at least 8 hours – to put you at the top of your game. And it’s not just for the innumerable health benefits – it will make you a better, more productive worker too.

Sleep is as important to our health as eating, drinking, and breathing. It allows our bodies to repair and our brains to ready themselves for enhanced learning and improved memory. Neuroimaging and neurochemistry studies suggest that a good night's sleep helps foster both mental and emotional resilience allowing for physiological changes that help boost immune system and improve moods.

Listening to your body and its natural circadian rhythm is also important. Depending on what you’re trying to get done, certain activities are best at certain times for optimal mental or physical strength. In addition, sleep is best when your body is cooler, which is why eating or exercising later in the day can disrupt sleep by raising your body temperature. By going to bed and waking up at regular times (even on the weekends), the circadian rhythm is reinforced and allows you to sleep better and plan activities accordingly.

Source: https://www.liveli.com/blogs/the-wave/circadianrhythm

What happens without enough sleep?

Daily performance greatly depends on our total hours of sleep – but not all sleep is the same. Deep sleep protects and controls how you process and retain new information. Other stages of sleep are responsible for preparing for future learning and memory storage. REM sleep improves mood, mental health, reduces anxiety, and decreases risk of depression. Lack of REM sleep is also one of the strongest indicators for suicide risk in teens.

You just don’t know what you’re missing.

There are times when we either don’t get enough sleep or experience a night of interrupted sleep. Since not all sleep stages are the same – what happens when we only get 5 or 6 hours instead of the recommended 8 hours?

If the sleep we’re missing occurs during REM stage, our bodies and minds don’t have the time to either repair or prepare for the next day. Studies also show lack of sleep can increase your level of cortisol, your stress hormone, which can disrupt almost all your body's processes and raises the risks for anxiety, depression, and cognitive impairment. Using an app to monitor sleep patterns can be very helpful to determine what you’re actually missing.

To help you get to the top and stay there, here are some recommended tips to get the rest you need:

Set regular bedtime and wake-up times
Darken the room at night – Lighten the room in morning
Reduce food, alcohol, and caffeine later in the evening
Exercise, earlier in the day and keep body temperature cooler at night
Reduce stress & practice relaxation methods such as meditation or yoga
Use a sleep app to monitor the quantity and quality of your sleep

Sweet dreams!

Brittany Marley

Sr. Global Account Manager | Equinix