Sleep Your Way to Success
We all Want to be successful don’t we?
Although success means different things to each of us it is something that we want to experience in our lives. Whatever success means to us it rarely just happens – success is intentional. In fact we probably do a number of things to ensure that success. We put set goals and milestones and take action. Think of all the things you do to be successful in your life, in your career, in your business? Maybe self development, eating healthily, keeping fit, gaining qualifications, saving money, working long hours………
I wonder if sleep is on that list?
Sleep is for Wimps
Sleep is essential for our physical, mental and emotional well-being yet it rarely forms part of our plans for a successful and happy life. In fact we often do the opposite reducing our sleeping hours as we cram more into our lives. We live in an increasingly 24/7 society, where the boundaries are blurring between work and home time and productivity is highly prized. We have people telling us – ‘you can sleep when you’re dead; sleep is for wimps; the early bird catches the worm”. Sleep is not seen as important in our quest for productivity. Spending time asleep when we could be achieving things and making things happen feels counter -intuitive doesn’t it?
Have You Got Time Not to Sleep?
Researchers from Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard have found we are sleeping almost 2 hours less a night than we were in the 1960s yet are we really so different to adults in the 1960s?
Matthew Walker, a leading sleep specialist, believes we are in the midst of “a catastrophic sleep-loss epidemic”.
Evidence is increasingly showing a link between insufficient sleep and heart disease, obesity, stress related illness, certain cancers, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, depression and cognitive decline. Poor sleep quality or quantity leads to poor concentration, slower reaction times, less motivation, decreased decision making ability and suppresses our immunity.
How Does Good Sleep Help Us Be Successful?
Some of the things we are likely to experience if we have a good nights sleep are:
Better concentration, improved memory, lowered stress levels, healthier weight, increased productivity and motivation, a stronger immune system, more creative and intuitive and improved decision making. All things that will enable us to be more successful, more resilient and happier so why would we not see sleep as a precious commodity instead of a waste of time?
A good night’s sleep is essential for our well being and I think this quote captures how we are when we sleep well:
“I’ve always envied people who sleep easily. Their brains must be cleaner, the floorboards of the skull well swept, all the little monsters closed up in a steamer trunk at the foot of the bed.” David Benioff, City of Thieves
S here are some things you could say Yes or No to and benefit from good sleep:
Say No to:
- Falling asleep on the sofa – it wastes your sleep drive which you need for when you go to bed
- Drinking caffeine or alcohol later in the day
- Screen time for at least an hour before bed even on night mode
- Exercising from mid evening onward.
Say Yes to:
- Planning your sleep and adding it to your diary
- Building a belief system in your mind that sleep is valuable
- Having a simple bedtime routine to prepare yourself for sleep
- Creating a suitable environment for good sleep.
Are you getting enough sleep to be successful?
Perhaps you’ve a habit of over doing it, perhaps you commit to things at expense of your sleep, perhaps you find yourself struggling to get to sleep so you stay up later and later hoping you’ll fall asleep exhausted or maybe you do go to sleep to wake a few hours later with your mind whirring with to do lists and your imagination running riot on all the things that could go wrong. Maybe you didn’t realise that there is another way. Maybe you didn’t know that hypnotherapy can help you change your habits, learn to put your needs first and to sleep through the night.
Imagine how it would be to wake each morning refreshed and ready to have a great day. Imagine prizing your sleep and making it a priority and finding life seems easier and you find yourself happier, calmer, more decisive and making better choices for you.
Now that you know there is another way please get in touch to find out more about working with me
– you’ll be glad you did!
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