I had a previous post about the importance of sleep, so I wanted to add this interesting bit of information that I ran across in the latest issue of Men’s Health magazine. It contained a feature article about the perils of sleep deprivation, how it has such a negative effect on our mental and physical health, and how most Americans are sleep deprived. In the article they cited a research finding that losing just one hour of sleep per night for a week has the same negative effect on us as skipping an entire night of sleep!
Now, I don’t know how rigorous the research was behind this finding but, if it is true, it’s a real eye-opener. I knew that sleep deprivation was bad, but I had no idea that the cumulative effect of an hour of lost sleep per night was so detrimental. I can remember periods in my life in which 5-6 hours of sleep per night was the norm for months on end. No wonder I was so tired! Now I know that I should really aim for a full night’s sleep every night, which for me, is about 7.5 hours.
As I recommended in my previous post about sleep, try getting a full night’s rest every night for a week straight. Just think of it as an experiment. See if you notice a difference in your energy level, mood, and productivity. If such a simple thing could possibly have such a huge impact on your functioning, isn’t it at least worth a try?