You Are not Weak if You Sleep 8 Hours Every Night

We have been coached and indoctrinated in the United States in the Protestant work ethic concept. In my early career, I believed and prioritized work over many important things in my life including sleep. My days were long and hard as I was on the forefront of the technical revolution.

You see it throughout our society- people in the 24/7/365 cycle of constant work. People starting their commutes earlier, driving further and working longer. People checking work email from their personal phones, in their bed, morning and night. The line between work and leisure becomes more obscured. You hear people say: “Sleep is the new Broke” I think that should be rephrased to “The Lack of sleep will break you down”.  Our society is such that it is almost a sign of inferiority or laziness to mention that you get eight hours of sleep a night and wake up naturally.

There have been many studies about the high correlation between sleep quality and general health. Let this sink in: most people are killing themselves slowly by not sleeping enough. We all should know a few important things about sleep. Sleep helps us:

1. Process information
   1. Our brains may be the most complex thing in the known universe but as we sleep, short term memories are transferred to long term memories. Problems are solved.
2. Toxin removal
   1. Neurons (brain cells) are energy hogs and thus produce a lot more waste than an average cell. The Glymphatic system is more active when we sleep removing Beta and Tau Amlyoid from brain both associated with Alzheimers disease.
3. Immune system
   1. When we sleep our body releases cytokines which help our bodies fight infection and diseases
4. Promotes recovery
   1. Sleep is crucial in muscle and general body recovery. It is when the body heals form the wear and tear of the day.

I’ve only focused on the physical benefits of sleep so far, but one often overlooked benefit is our relationships with loved ones  and colleagues. You ever notice when you are tired you might become a little short or easily frustrated? That your tone changes or temper is shorter? This impacts your partners, friends and business relations.

I think many of us have heard how important sleep is to our general health and well-being. There isn’t a one size fits all model for our sleep needs, but I like to use the analogy “Worker harder Sleep Harder” (that would be an Earlism if you follow my wife on facebook). There are countless studies that have been performed showing the epidemic levels of sleep deprivation and insomnia in our society. 

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6473877/
• https://www.sleepdr.com/the-sleep-blog/cdc-declares-sleep-disorders-a-public-health-epidemic/

Instead of trying to stay up all night get a good night rest consistently. Prioritize it and this can become the basis of great physical health and productive relationships both personal and professional. Trust me, the job will still be there.