Have you ever tried to compromise sleep and get less sleep to get more done? We probably all have done this before. It is important to understand that almost always this practice will be counterproductive, with very few exceptions. Especially if we need to function well the next day. If you normally function well on 7 hours of sleep, getting only 5 hours can potentially cost you more productivity than we would get for the extra two hours of whatever work we would get done the night before. This does vary based on person and it is up to you to know what quantity and time of sleep works best for you. You will also know how severe the consequences are on your productivity that lack of sleep will have on you. The exception to this is if you really don’t plan on doing anything the next day that requires any types of productivity. In that while still possibly bearing ill effects on your health, especially if done repeatedly, it is not harmful to your productivity if you plan to be on vacation or resting. Below you wills see five reasons on why you should take your sleep seriously
- You are most focused when properly rested. I know that when I don’t sleep enough, I am scattered brained and constantly losing focus.
- You are in a better mood when properly rested. Being in a bad mood can cut down on productivity, you can get caught up in what you are upset about ad end up wasting time and not focusing on what needs to get done
- You are more easily overwhelmed when you don’t have enough rest. Sometimes things look so stressful and complicated and just a good night’s rest makes the tasks seem much more manageable
- Your thoughts are clear when well-rested. You will waste less time clarifying your thoughts and you will be able to process thoughts and any information quicker when you are rested enough
- You will be able to complete more tasks. Having the right amount of sleep is vital to having the optimal amount energy. While not the only factor, it is an important one.
As far as personal experience is concerned, getting enough rest is essential for me. I have rarely found it beneficial to sacrifice sleep in order to have more time. In those cases, I end up doing whatever I need to do the next day slower and not being able to focus as I should and then not end up any better. Everyone is different, so you need to know for yourself on how you function best, but it is a fair bet to say that getting the optimal amount of sleep is what you want to shoot for. Also, there are several reasons someone can't get the sleep they need outside of choice as well like sleeping disorders or other situations that prevent sleep like pain, children, pets, having to be a caregiver, etc. This post was not intended to address any of that, but rather just the mindset sleep in general.