Sleep and Productivity

You’ve tossed and turned all night. You’ve counted so many sheep you’re pondering whether to start up a farm. Just when you’ve finally drifted off, you hear the sound of the alarm clock going off. As you pull back the covers and put your feet on the floor you feel like an extra in an episode of ‘The Walking Dead.’

There's an important meeting today with some potential new clients. You need to be at your charismatic and problem-solving best. As you’re about to find out, lack of sleep can make a challenging but achievable task seem almost overwhelming.

You’re not alone.

Nearly one-third of adults report getting less than 6 hours of sleep a night, according to a National Health Interview Survey. And the habit seems to start young; a similar survey sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found only 31 percent of high school students report getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night.

Sleep, in essence, is our brain’s version of putting up a ‘Closed for Maintenance’sign. While we sleep, the brain doesn’t have to worry about things like remembering how to drive a car or whether the network administrator you just hired is on schedule with the server upgrades. 

Since the body isn’t usually doing much either, the brain can divert energy over to housekeeping. Repairs are made, and confused signals are cleaned up. Memories are carefully sorted and filed in their proper place. The neural network is strengthened, so when new information is received the next day it can be more easily stored and then recalled.  

When we don’t get enough sleep, much of this work isn’t done properly. It’s much like housecleaning. It’s easy enough if you keep up with it, but it can turn ugly very quickly, as anyone who’s stared at a towering pile of dirty dishes will tell you. 

Adequate sleep makes us more efficient because now the brain has a clean work area. The beauty of it is that we don’t have to roll up our sleeves and break out the cleaning supplies. The brain does the work for us if given the chance. All we have to do is remember to get to bed on time. Sometimes that’s easier said than done, but the benefits will far outweigh the costs.

Nearly one-third of adults report getting less than 6 hours of sleep a night, according to a National Health Interview Survey. And the habit seems to start young; a similar survey sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found only 31 percent of high school students report getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night. 

Sleep, in essence, is our brain’s version of putting up a ‘Closed for Maintenance’sign. While we sleep, the brain doesn’t have to worry about things like remembering how to drive a car or whether the network administrator you just hired is on schedule with the server upgrades. 

Since the body isn’t usually doing much either, the brain can divert energy over to housekeeping. Repairs are made, and confused signals are cleaned up. Memories are carefully sorted and filed in their proper place. The neural network is strengthened, so when new information is received the next day it can be more easily stored and then recalled.  

When we don’t get enough sleep, much of this work isn’t done properly. It’s much like housecleaning. It’s easy enough if you keep up with it, but it can turn ugly very quickly, as anyone who’s stared at a towering pile of dirty dishes will tell you. 

Adequate sleep makes us more efficient because now the brain has a clean work area. The beauty of it is that we don’t have to roll up our sleeves and break out the cleaning supplies. The brain does the work for us if given the chance. All we have to do is remember to get to bed on time. Sometimes that’s easier said than done, but the benefits will far outweigh the costs.