Do I really have to sleep 7 hours a night? (part 2)
Hey – did you sleep well? I hope you did!
As promised and without further ado, let's jump straight to part two. Here are some more (and more cheerful too, I promise) reasons why getting enough sleep should be on your list:
Improved focus and productivity. I can almost hear the "thank you, captain obvious" echoing from your thoughts straight to my ears. Before you dismiss it, though, let me ask you this: When you have a day when you struggle to think sharp and work efficiently, how often do you consider fixing it by going to bed earlier rather than working late to catch up? I'd place my bet with 'close to never' if I may. According to research, not getting enough sleep can result in some areas of your brain functioning as if you were drunk. So, when it comes to impact on focus, I rest my case.
Better mood and social interactions. I admit that this one got me by surprise. The 'better mood' is the rather obvious bit – who wouldn't be grumpy when they didn't sleep well, right? Duh! But I never knew that it could influence how I perceive other people's actions and interactions with me. Of course, there is more than one influence connected to this fact that comes into play. On top of that, lack of sleep makes us more negative in perceiving other people's actions, less empathic, and less in control of our own emotional reactions. Considering all three, it is no surprise that lack of sleep can lead to misunderstandings or arguments.
Last but not least, a sexy one: sufficient sleep helps us maintain weight more easily, thanks to eating fewer calories and having steadier blood sugar. Allow me to clarify: nobody is saying that adequate sleep is all you need to do to lose weight; however, if you're taking pride in getting too little sleep, you can work your ass off in the gym as much as you want, you're still making it more difficult for yourself than it needs to be.
So.. What do you say? Ready to add an hour or two a night? I know that with a ‘modern lifestyle’ and a 9-5 (or should I rather say 8-6?) job, it might seem challenging, but it doesn't have to be. It can actually be way simpler than it looks. I'll show you. Stay tuned for part three. 😊
