Prioritizing Sleep

It is no secret that sleep can help improve all aspects of life but all too often people push sleep down the priority ladder because they feel that they have more important things to get done. It might feel sometimes like those extra two hours could be better spent working toward goals than wasted in dreamland, but the truth is that long-term sleep deprivation can result in significant cognitive and physical impairment. Lack of sleep affects motivation, decision making, and memory and learning. It also puts the people at risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. According to the CDC, the average adult needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night but surveys show that a third of the population only gets 6 hours or less. Stress management is crucial to being able to sleep well. When people are stressed out, they are less likely to sleep. Even that big meeting where the newest software development is revealed can keep you up at night. A great way to avoid this is to have a habit of winding down before bed such as deep breathing or music relaxation.