I need a nap 😴
The importance of prioritizing sleep hygiene
Last weekend my husband, our son, and I returned from a trip to South America where we’d been visiting family. We had a wonderful time in MedellÃn, Colombia. It’s such a beautiful, vibrant city. I’m always struck by how different the energy is there. Time feels slower and there’s an energy of relaxation. It’s quite a transition coming back from the slower, more relaxed pace of Colombia to the busier, more driven energy of the United States.
Our flight home on Saturday was pretty rough. The only option was a red eye that departed at midnight. Traveling with an infant is hard enough, but doing a red eye was much more challenging. Neither my husband nor I slept and our son slept 2-hours total over the course of our 16-hour trek home.
If you have a child, you know how fussy they can be when they haven’t had a good night’s sleep or their nap. Thankfully, Victor Steven was still pretty pleasant even without enough sleep. But when we arrived home, he slept from 3pm until nearly 8am the next morning.
My husband and I also took a long nap and got 8-hours sleep overnight. But I noticed the following morning that our faces still looked puffy and tired from the flights, dehydration, and lack of sleep during the red eye journey. The lack of sleep also made me short-tempered and grumpy and I couldn’t think very clearly—all from just one night of sleep deprivation. I started thinking about just how important consistent sleep is and the many benefits from sufficient sleep. In fact, it’s a topic that comes up a lot during coaching sessions.
While there are many successful leaders who claim they sleep less than 5 hours a night, science has shown that the human body needs around 7-8 hours per night. But busy professionals still find that getting enough sleep is a constant challenge. There are many reasons for this, including anxiety about work, health issues, or just losing track of time while scrolling through Reddit in bed (my personal vice).
If we want to work, live, and BE happy, it’s essential that we prioritize our health and wellbeing, which means prioritizing sleep. If you struggle with getting enough sleep, it’s important to establish the habits that will help you get the sleep you need.
There are many tips about how to create healthy bedtime habits. But the most important place to start is to become aware of what is preventing you from getting good sleep right now. One tactic is to use a journal to help you notice the habits or patterns that prevent you from sleeping. Are you lying in bed thinking about a work deadline? Or did you drink a latte at 6pm? Or do you have a TV in your bedroom? Start to notice the things that could be contributing to your lack of sleep. Some things you may be able to change on your own. For other things such as work anxiety, you may want to work with a coach to reduce your stress.
Next, start making small, but steady changes to your routine. If your goal is to be in bed by 10pm, think about the habits and routines that will help you not just get into bed, but be asleep by 10pm.
Finally, stay consistent. It’s easy to get off track with travel or schedule changes. But because sleep is such a vital aspect of our health, it cannot be compromised. So prioritize the sleep habits that will help you have consistent, quality sleep.
As conscious leaders, we can be an example for others and truly be at our best by prioritizing one of the most important parts of our health. Â Every person is unique. So what works for someone else may not work for you. But by noticing what helps you sleep well and what prevents quality sleep, you can establish the routines and habits that will support your nightly rest.
Work happy. Live happy. BE happy.
Meredith
The way we work and build teams is rapidly changing. Leaders often feel unprepared to navigate the transition. As a conscious leadership coach, consultant, and communicator, Meredith helps leaders and their teams create new ways of working and relating so they can prepare for the future by consciously co-creating it.
Contact her to develop your conscious leadership and transform your organization into the workplace of the future.
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This is a great post, and I always love the baby Victor photos. I get up really early to go to the gym each morning so 7 hours is always my goal. It is a priority so I have routines and intentionality around it. That is the only way I accomplish it. I do not have children in the home so it is within my control.