Sleep

Adequate sleep is important for good health. Sleep repairs both the body and the mind. The immediate effect of inadequate sleep is not only tiredness, but reduced work effectiveness, poor concentration and the increased risk of accidents, especially when driving. The effect of continued lack of sleep is to risk undermining your health and to make you more vulnerable to infection and illness.

A pragmatic test of sufficient sleep is that you should wake up feeling physically and mentally refreshed. The amount of sleep people need varies, and often reduces with older age, but many adults need at least seven hours sleep a night. In a way, you have a bank account for sleep. When a late night means that you have too little sleep,top up your sleep account by having a brief sleep during the next day or ensuring you have ample sleep the following night.

Some executives are prone to macho displays of coping with sleep deprivation after an overnight long haul flight by working through the following day. Mental powers and concentration are significantly diminished, and worse still, the effects of jet lag may last for several days. It is much better to take a bath or shower, and benefit from a relaxed day spending time in sunlight, or at least enjoying fresh air, and doing some gentle physical exercise, all of which will minimize the effect and duration of jet lag.

Many people sleep much sounder and longer on holiday than when working, for the simple reason that the combination of more fresh air, exercise and a relaxed mind are powerful and natural sedatives. The inability to get to sleep quickly and easily or waking up early already thinking about work or personal problems cannot be allowed to continue. If increased fresh air and exercise, together with deliberate mental relaxation before trying to sleep do not cure the problem, medical advice is required. Sleeping pills should be regarded as only a temporary solution, because they can quickly become addictive or at least a necessary crutch and often leave people feeling jaded for a period after waking up.

Thank you for reading up to the end. See you next time.