Sleep and Productivity: How to Maximize it?
Haven’t we all experienced those days we feel groggy and exhausted when we do not sleep well the previous night? We realize that we cannot function at our peak. A study by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) found that between 50 and 70 million adults in the United States suffer from chronic sleep disorders which lowers productivity. Chronic Sleep Disorders, in the long run, can cause cardiovascular and type II diabetes. Thus, by sleeping well, not only do we boost our health but also our productivity.
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Sleep and Productivity: How are they connected?
The Sleep-Wake cycles are caused by hypocretin, an enzyme. When we are sleeping, our body is relaxed and in a state of rest. The neurons which produce hypocretin are less active due to the relaxed stage. On the contrary, when we wake up, we feel a surge of energy. This is the effect of the vigorous activity of the hypocretin-secreting neurons. This is the sole reason why we feel energized and refreshed after a short nap during the day, known as a power nap. All the sleep-related actions are caused by Hypocretin, an enzyme associated with sleep and wake cycles. When we are asleep, in a state of rest, the neurons which produce hypocretin are less active. Here is a surge in the production of hypocretin when we wake up. Recent research in this domain has shown how active and alert you can be depending on your sleep quality and sleep duration. REM enhances creative thinking. We might have noticed how we wake up with perfect ideas to solve a problem.
Extensive study reports say that the optimum sleep duration for a healthy lifestyle is 7 hours. Beyond 7 hours of sleep, the mind tends to have a ‘hangover’ of the REM stage and we experience lightheaded thoughts. If we sleep for less than 7 hours, the body does not get enough rest and we can see a decrease in our productivity levels due to an imbalance in decision making and focus. Sleeping irregularly causes the melatonin to function haphazardly, thus affecting the rest of the body as well.
By “good sleep” we not only need to consider the duration of sleep but also the consistency and quality of sleep. Generally, REM happens towards the end of the sleep cycle. If we do not get the required duration of sleep, we lose out on the REM, causing us to tire 11% faster than usual. We do want our batteries charged, don’t we?
Research by RAND shows the US loses 1.23 million working days due to sleep-related issues faced by the employees. If we train our REM cycles, to control our sleep level, then we can sleep and wake accordingly. Making these little changes in our lifestyle today can make a big difference tomorrow.
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How To Improve Productivity?
It is during sleep that the body heals and rejuvenates. By maximizing on your sleep quality and duration, it is possible to improve your productivity during the day. In order to have uninterrupted, good quality sleep, it is important that you use the right kind of mattress and have a healthy lifestyle.
A typical mattress should have the following features in order to give you maximum comfort and support while ensuring uninterrupted sleep. No doubt, there are many factors to be taken into consideration, but, the mattress is the game changer when it comes to improving sleep quality and in turn, productivity.
1. Firmness: A mattress that is too firm or too soft isn’t going to serve any purpose. A soft mattress will let you sink into it, not really helping with the natural alignment of the body. A firm mattress will force the pressure points out of its natural curve. Researchers from Spain say that a medium-to-firm mattress with a 5.6 on a scale-out of 10 works best for most people, including those suffering from lower backache and other back-related issues. Michael Breus, a Ph.D. holder, and WebMD Sleep Expert says that the right mattress should give you the feel and experience of floating in the air, with no pressure.
2. Memory Foam Mattresses are popular these days. They consist of many layers of foam of varying densities. These layers are designed to respond to weight and temperature, thus affecting the way they naturally mold to your body’s natural contour, giving proper support and comfort.
3. No mattress is going to help us in any way if we are sleeping for only five hours. Again, sleep quality and quantity and interrelated to your mattress. Motion transfer is an important point to consider, especially for sensitive sleepers. It is wise to choose a mattress that isolates motion so as to not disturb the sleeping partner. Nuvanna has mastered the art of motion isolation, ensuring that you sleep without any unnecessary disturbance.
4. The optimum temperature of the mattress: Hot sleepers tend to sweat and the memory foam mattress is heat conducive. A cooling mattress maintains optimum temperature, preventing you from experiencing disturbance due to heat or cold. The gel technology in the mattress absorbs heat and conducts it outwards, thus keeping the mattress at an optimum temperature to sleep comfortably.
5. Some other factors that can help boost your productivity are:
- Drink lots of water
- Exercise frequently
- Power naps during the day
- Avoid caffeine before bedtime
Considering all the points discussed, finally, it is left to us, how we harness our productivity to its maximum potential. Sleeping right and well enough can make a major lifestyle improvement. By doing so, we can look forward to mornings sans all the groaning about having to get out of bed. All we need to do is train our body to sleep and wake up on time by using ‘cues’ like lighting in the room, clothing, and food. Good sleep always goes hand in hand with a perfect bed like Nuvanna. It is in our hands how well we harness our productivity. Now we can all look forward to a chirpy good morning every day and make positive changes in their lives!