How much sleep do you need to be productive?

We spend an average of 24 years of our lives sleeping. A lot, right? And therefore, it is not only interesting, but also important, how to sleep properly and how to get the most out of this process. Therefore, we try to regularly disclose this topic and in this article we will talk about what is more harmful: oversleeping or lack of sleep, and what exactly happens to our brain with a lack of sleep.

Dispelling the myth that you need 8 hours of sleep

If you ask a few people around you on the topic: “How many hours a day do you need to sleep to stay alert during the day?”, then you will most likely get something like this: “They say 8 hours. Yes, I myself feel that I need 8 hours, or better - 9!

And yet we again argue with this statement. Here is what Daniel Kripke, professor of psychiatry, who has done a lot of research on sleep, has to say about this:

“People who sleep 6.5 to 7.5 hours a night live longer. They are more productive and happier. And too much sleep can even be harmful to your health. And you may feel worse after sleeping 8.5 hours than if you slept 5.”

Try to experiment and reduce your sleep to 7.5 hours, listen carefully to your feelings and feel if there is a difference. In this case, we are, of course, talking about those who sleep at least 8 hours a day. If you sleep 6, then you hardly need to cut anything.

And, of course, we will return to the fact that there is no universal recipe for everyone. It's like shoe size. You must choose your individual schedule. That is why we are talking about a personal experiment. Now, based on Professor Kripke's statement, you can try to reduce the amount of sleep, what if your "lack of sleep" was actually oversleeping?

And here's a secret for you, by the way, how to get up at the time when the alarm rang, and not translate it several times five minutes later. You must have a business scheduled for the exact time. For example, at exactly 7:30 you have breakfast. And not a minute later. Here, of course, it is also important that you have enough willpower to fulfill the promise you made to yourself.

Too little sleep has a very negative effect on our brain

After reading the first paragraph, there must have been those who proudly said (or thought) that they often sleep only 4 hours a day. We are forced to upset you, this is also not a plus. Let's be honest, after sleeping 4 hours, can you feel as cheerful and fresh as if you slept 7.5?

But what's interesting is that a person who slept for 4 hours can be just as attentive as someone who slept for 7. Moreover, he can show the same results in tests and exercises.

The problem is different. Whether we get enough sleep or not, we lose focus on a task from time to time. And this is where a sleepy person falls into a trap. If a person gets enough sleep, when they start to lose focus, their brain can regain attention, but a sleepy person's brain cannot refocus.

As Professor Clifford Saper of Harvard says: “The brain of a sleep deprived person works normally, but from time to time something similar to the power failure of an electrical device happens to it.” In the image below you can see what this means. As soon as you lose focus and your attention is scattered, processes begin in the brain that activate focus (the zones in which this occurs are indicated by yellow spots). In people who have not slept enough, such activity is manifested barely or not at all, but the amygdala (red zones) is activated, which is a kind of “center of fear”, as a result of which the brain begins to work in such a mode as if a person is in danger from all sides. Physically, this is manifested by muscle tension, sweaty palms, rumbling in the stomach, and an unstable emotional state.

But the problem also lies in the fact that a sleepy person may not notice a decrease in their productivity. There may be a false sense of security and rightness of action, which sometimes has dire consequences. That's why you should never drive if you haven't had enough sleep.

On the way to healthy sleep

So, oversleeping is harm, lack of sleep is even more harm. However, it is sleep deprivation that most people suffer from right now. Let's try to give some tips that may help you once again review your habits and correct them so that your sleep is full and your working day is productive.

Yes, yes, we already foresee a storm of indignation in the comments: “Where can I take a nap in the office, where there are 10 other people besides me ?!”, “Which boss will allow you to sleep in the workplace?” etc.

Well, to this we will say that we are all people, and you can still try to find a common language with your superiors and colleagues and ensure yourself 20 minutes of sleep at lunchtime.

And to make you want to do this, here are a few reasons in favor of short sleep, although we have already talked a lot about it on our blog:

• napping for just 20 minutes will restore your alertness and increase your productivity.
• Determine at what time you feel a particular drop in energy? It is at this hour that a respite should be appointed;
• at the end of the day, you will still be full of energy, and not squeezed out like a lemon, and as a result, you will be more productive and spend the evening with great pleasure.

For those who believe that they cannot sleep for 20-30 minutes, that after such a dream they feel even more overwhelmed, we advise you to still try to doze off regularly for several days, but strictly not more than 30 minutes. Soon the body will get used to such a schedule and you will be able to appreciate all the benefits of a daily break. By the way, this is important - it is desirable to take a nap at the same time every day and the same number of minutes.

2. Have a sleep ritual

Well, why not the ritual of washing and brushing your teeth, for example? But not everything is so simple. The ritual should be pleasant for you, you should want to perform it, while washing and brushing your teeth is rather a necessity, a habit.

And most importantly, the evening ritual should free you from the worries of the past day, preparing you for a good night. Here's what you can try to use as a ritual:

• Short (20 minutes) walk. You will be refreshed and put some thought in order during it.
• Reading fiction. It is artistic, because, unlike the professional one, it will allow you to immerse yourself in another world and, sympathizing with the heroes, forget about your affairs for a while.

3. Get tired!

As my English teacher used to say: “Last but not least”. The last piece of advice, but by no means the least important. To fall asleep quickly and sleep soundly, you must be tired! Both mentally and physically. That is why it is so important during the day not only to work productively with your head, but also to do physical exercises. You should be practically exhausted, and then your body can plunge into a deep healthy sleep.

A little interesting fact ↓

Women need a little more sleep than men. On average - 20 minutes, but possibly more. Why? Because the female brain is somewhat more complicated, and therefore takes more time to reboot.

Sleep is a very interesting and very diverse topic. We constantly find something new and interesting about it, but we understand that we are still very far from saying that we know absolutely everything about how to sleep properly, how much to sleep and how it affects the brain or body.

By the way, if you know some new interesting fact about sleep or you personally conducted some experiments with sleep time and its quality, be sure to write to us in the comments. It is very interesting.