How a good night’s sleep can help boost your productivity

The longest amount of time any human has gone without sleep is 11 consecutive days – or approximately 264 hours. While this is the longest time recorded, after just four days of no sleep, side effects of sleep deprivation can creep in including hallucination and headaches.

While you may be able to get a few hours of shut-eye, have you recently been feeling like you haven’t slept a wink? Or are you missing out on seven straight hours? Trying to get into a good sleep routine can have a wealth of benefits, from helping you feel energised to boosting your productivity.

Helps to increases focus

It’s no surprise that lack of sleep can hinder your ability to focus. Tiredness can make you feel irritable and lack the motivation to do things. Adults are recommended to get at least seven hours’ sleep every night, so if you need to set an alarm the next day, be sure you go to bed with enough time to get those hours in.

You can make better choices

Being tired can have similar side effects on our mind as consuming alcohol, and can cause you to make poor choices. In fact, there can be so much of a delay that making decisions can be up to 50% slower. So if you’re in a position where you need to make choices and work to deadlines, skipping those vital hours of sleep can really hinder your productivity.

Can boost your mental wellbeing

Not getting enough sleep can make you feel exhausted, which can lead you to feel depressed and anxious, it’s likely to have an effect on your productivity. Your brain and mind need to recover each day and not sleeping can affect your memory, eating habits and general lifestyle. Getting a good night’s sleep can help to boost your mood and reduce anxiety by allowing your brain to recover and rest.

How to get a good night’s sleep 

• Avoid technology at night – Blue light can have a huge impact on sleep quality. This type of light comes from many things we all have in the bedroom including televisions, smartphones and tablets and looking at them before falling asleep can make it harder to shut off. This light blocks melatonin, a hormone responsible for making you sleepy, so you should look to avoid technology at least 30 minutes before bed.
• Invest in a comfy bed – If you have tried all of the tips and tricks to improve your sleep but still struggle, it might be time to look at what you’re sleeping on. Whether you want a new mattress or a whole new bed with built-in storage to help with tidying up, like the ones from Divan Beds Centre, upgrading your bedroom furniture can help you get a good night’s sleep.

How do I know if I’ve had a good night’s sleep?

Sometimes you may have less sleep but still wake up feeling wide awake. This could be because you got five hours of great-quality sleep instead of eight hours of poor-quality sleep. To establish if you did get enough shuteye, the NHS says: “As a general rule, if you wake up tired and spend the day longing for a chance to have a nap, it’s likely that you’re not getting enough sleep.”