Go to sleep

My three-year-old is starting to transition out of naps and into a 7:00 fussiness that stretches each evening into long ordeals as we march towards bed.  Once he’s down, he tosses and turns for a while, finally working his way to sleep.  Because of my schedule, he’s often starting his day earlier than some other children his age.


While the need for sleep lessens as we age, adults still need 7-9 hours each night, according to the National Sleep Foundation.  My three-year-old should be getting 11-13 hours every 24 hour period.  So if he goes with no naps and wakes around 5:30, he should be in bed no later than 6:30 each night.  Minimum.  With a two hour nap each day, he should still be in bed by 8:30 or so each evening.

Lack of sleep can affect productivity in the workplace as well.  Gaultney and Collins-McNeil published “Lack of Sleep in the Workplace:  What the Psychologist-Manager Should Know About Sleep” in 2009, noting that “Poor sleep affects work performance, and work-related issues can hamper sleep, creating a downward spiral in both personal well-being and work success.”

Some industries actively manage the length of time individuals may work.  These are imposed by law, by unions, and by individual companies.  Truckers and pilots have long had restrictions on consecutive working hours to allow for sleep and to combat fatigue.  The business reason for this is clear:  the cargo these individuals are carrying is valuable, and the cost of every accident is very high.

At the other end of the spectrum are many professional environments in which there is competition to be viewed as the most committed and most successful, and where rewards are high.  Investment banking provides a glimpse into this.  In a February 2010 post on the blog The Bathe Bail Out, The Bathe Man writes:  “When the work load calls for being at the office for two complete days straight without sleep, the effects of sleep deprivation begin to take effect.  Of the effects, headaches, irritability, and memory losses will cause a decrease in work quality, productivity, and ability to work in a team.  A recent Gallup poll suggested sleep deprivation can cause as much of a detrimental effect on job performance as the consumption of alcohol.”

If you think you’ll know when you’re sleepy, think again.  Sephra Snyder, in a 2003 thesis for Marshall University, writes:  “Many people suffering from routine sleep loss are not even aware of it, and many who do realize they are not getting enough sleep are not aware of what it is costing them.  Sleep loss creates sleepiness, which can be associated  with decrements in vigilance, reaction time, memory, psychomotor coordination, information processing, and decision-making.”

If you are sleeping less than 7-9 hours a night and need to reclaim some sleeping time, consider the following ideas:

• Set an evening alarm. Many of us use one to wake in the morning - it might make sense for you to set one for the evening as well.  When the alarm goes off, you go to bed.


• Use your calendar to protect time prior to bed time. Important events always make it to the calendar, and you've probably blocked out some prep time for a big meeting or two.  Do the same with your sleep, protecting that time as a meeting with yourself.


• Make sleep a routine. President Bush, in the midst of military engagements halfway around the world and while creating whole new departments, maintained his 9:00 PM bed time in all but the most dire situations.


• Prioritize sleep. Think about sleep as one of the important things you must do to be successful every day.  It should trump social engagements and leisure to be sure, but think through some of the other things that you might be putting in front of the rest you need.  Is it really that urgent to find out what happens during the next episode of your favorite show?


• Enlist others to help. If you make it known to those that care about you that you're trying to get more sleep, you may find some allies in the effort.  At minimum, you will have created more understanding when you decline to start projects and activities that conflict with your stated goal of getting more sleep.

With proper sleep (along with diet and exercise), you'll probably find that you are able to do things better and faster than before.  Before pulling that all-nighter, think about going to bed and tackling that big task first thing in the morning.

Best,

Bryan