💤 If you know me then you know the importance I place on sleep. I call it my “silver bullet.”
I have learned the hard way what insufficient sleep does to my waking hours – decreased productivity, weakened resilience, less capacity to endure, brain fog, less fluid communication, etc. – not great for business efficiency!
Unsurprisingly, the pandemic led to an increase in sleep disorders – with anxiety and stress worsening what was for many already acute insomnia.
Regardless, many leaders 1) model unhealthy rest practices - preferring to present themselves as a "superhuman" – for whom sleeping (and downtime in general) is unnecessary – even a sign of weakness – and/or 2) create/endorse cultures that make sufficient sleep very challenging.
I have spoken with several clients whose days begin with 6am calls and often continue into the evening, with little or no break time. Some are asked to join meetings as early as 4am to accommodate global audiences. And often, these early starts are expected even after they return to the office!
Not only are these practices unhealthy (insufficient rest makes us ill) – they're also unrealistic – and will negatively impact performance.
This piece from HRD Australia features sound advice from Aaliya Yaqub, MD, the Chief Medical Officer for Arianna Huffington's popular Thrive platform.
Similar to what I’ve advised for years, she recommends 7-8 hours of high quality sleep per night, saying:
"Sleep is a really robust time of activity for our brains. It’s then that our brains are clearing out harmful waste proteins that we're building up during the day. We’re also consolidating memories and synthesizing information - so the brain is super active while we're sleeping. If you're not sleeping enough, you miss out on all the benefits of that."
I’ve seen plenty of eye rolls when I advise 7-9 hours of sleep – but that range has been backed up by countless global studies for years.
As stress levels increase, it’s time to pay attention. Keep in mind that sleep is as vital for our wellbeing as good nutrition and hydration - a recent University of California, San Francisco study has proven a direct link between poor sleep and a weakened immune system, as well as mental health, even showing that immunity gained from vaccination shots is considerably less in those who don't sleep well.
Do you model good sleep practices for your people and create a culture that encourages self-care?
If not, then take advice from Dr Yaqub and publicly share with your organization just what you do to take care of your wellness "so that people see a (leader) who actually takes care of themselves – and they can admit when they’re struggling too.”
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