Why should you sleep well?
Whatever age you are, there’s plenty of evidence to show that adequate sleep fuels your mind and body and helps you cope.
Whilst you’re sleeping, your body recovers from the stresses of the day. Think of sleep as the mechanism by which your body restores its energy. So, when you get sufficient sleep, you feel more alive, your concentration is improved and you’re able to function far better.
Feeling tired and lacking a good night’s sleep contributes significantly to your stress, as it’s harder to focus, your tolerance is often lower and you can feel generally irritable and off colour.
So how much is enough?
As with everything, we all have different requirements and the amount of sleep we need will change as we go through life. Generally, most adults need at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Yes, there are some people who claim to only need 3-5 hours, so if that’s you, lucky you – you have four more hours in your day to be productive! Though, it is still worth experimenting and seeing how well you feel with more sleep.
But generally, 7-8 hours is the norm. Over the last year, I have been tracking my sleep patterns, both using sophisticated devices like the ‘Jawbone Up’, which tracks both quantity and quality of sleep, and also by just using a spreadsheet. I have discovered that I function best on 7 hours and 30 minutes; any less and my patience and response times are significantly diminished.
TAKE ACTION NOW!
Track your sleep patterns for the next 5 days and then try to get another 30 minutes extra sleep per day. Let us know how you get on over here.
This article on how to sleep well and why should, is an extract from my new book now available on an easy download from Amazon.
‘Success without Stress:
How to Prevent Burnout and Build Resilience for Optimal Health & Performance’
Now available On Amazon
For All UK/European Orders via Amazon.co.uk click here
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Or
To read a chapter for free go here.
