Psychologist Philip Zimbardo did a study with USA Today asking Americans how “busy” they were.
More than 50% of people said they are busier now than they were in previous years and that they sacrifice friends, family and sleep for the success.
“Suppose you have 8 days a week? What would you do?”… they asked. People responded that it would be AMAZING because they’d have extra time to work harder and get more done. There was no mention of spending more time with family and friends….and certainly no mention of getting more sleep!
The truth is, sleep affects everything from your skin to your mood, digestion, relationships, and even your productivity.
Getting quality sleep is all about practicing good sleep hygiene, which means:
• Avoid naps during the day because they can disturb your normal sleep pattern.
• Be physically active in the morning/late afternoon to improve sleep and reduce stress.
• Avoid large meals close to bedtime, as well as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol because digestion can disrupt sleep.
• Avoid bright electronic screens before bed and get outside because natural daylight causes many positive changes in your brain.
• It’s important to associate your bed with sleeping, not spend time in bed playing video games, watching TV or browsing the Internet.
The point is that because everyone is so “busy” these days, sleep takes a back seat! Let’s make sleep a priority this week and get busy making sleep a priority!
Your challenge this week is focus on getting at least 7 hours of quality sleep this week by practicing some of the tips mentioned above!
Are you in? Let me know in a comment below!
