I often watch my daughter fight the need to go to sleep. I can tell she feels like she might miss out on something. There could be a snack or show on TV that she’ll miss out on if she goes to sleep now.
She’s not the only one who fights going to sleep. I’ve often found myself aimlessly browsing online for nothing of meaning or purpose. I’ve kept my phone next to the bed in case something important was sent to me. I have also had a fear of missing out.
Studies have shown that more than 1/3 of people are sleep deprived. If you don’t think that matters, here are a few reasons it should.
- Motor Skills are Messed Up. Lack of sleep can cause your reaction time to suffer. Are you walking into things more often? Is your speech a little slower and more difficult?
- You’re Hungry. When you are awake your body needs to consume more calories, thus making you hungry. Sleep deprived people are known to have more risk of weight gain & obesity.
- You’re Stressed Out. If things seem to be getting to you more than usual it may be because you need sleep. Sleep-deprived people have a lower threshold for dealing with stress.
- You Can’t Concentrate. When you’re deprived of sleep it’s harder to put your mind on things and focus. Without focus…we’re less productive.
When I talk with clients of mine the number one issue they have is they feel like there’s not enough time in the day to do it all. I will agree to a point that there is a lot to do, but the more I learn about sleep the more I think this is the issue. When we’re sleep-deprived we are not in a position to make the best decisions about how we use our time. We are less focused, more stressed and not as sharp. This is a perfect recipe for inefficiency.
Want to live your strong life? Make sure you are taking care of you. Eat right, exercise and get to bed!
