Stressed at Work? Monitor Your Sleep

Every now and then, you know it’s going to happen. It’s all-hands-on-deck at work. There’s a looming deadline, a major project completion, or just plain, top-down pressure. This is when a job has its defining career moments. Suddenly, you’re having to find that 25th hour in the day. The extra hours creep into your daily routine, even weekends, and likely your family time. Most of all, it can cut into your all-important, regenerative sleep. That’s if you let it.

At all costs, resist the pressure to cut into your all-important sleep hours. When the going gets tough, the tough get sleeping. That also means paying even closer attention to a daytime routine that keeps your nightly sleep health in check. Be even more mindful of your caffeine and comfort-snack intake. Make more of a conscious effort to decompress at home and ensure you get the best quality sleep you can, even if slightly shorter for the while. The point is to prioritise your sleep.

At a time when you’re expected to up your game and be even more productive, putting in more and more hours isn’t necessarily the smartest answer. This is where teamwork proves itself. No one can remain at their best 24/7. And nobody wants to be found asleep at the wheel. So, divide and conquer. Be sensitive to your colleagues’ level of fatigue. Be honest with yourself about your own, sustained productivity. Better to ace it in the morning, than bungle it through the night.

It’s a simple time vs productivity equation. And it requires as much discipline to sleep as it does to deliver on a work emergency. It’s a no-brainer, really, as counterintuitive as it may feel in the heat of urgent business. The hours in the day do not change. The intensity of each hour does

Consider perhaps an executive summary of what happens when you get a deep, quality night’s rest when things are really challenging:

1. This is when physical stress relaxes and your body replenishes.
2. Your brain processes thoughts that may be stuck or overburdened
3. Your immune system remains robust, staving off any unwanted bugs or flu during a critical work period
4. Your thoughts and emotions are more measured, less tetchy, each morning
5. By maintaining a critical sleep routine, you are way more intensively productive by day. Your stress is not undermined by tiredness, but underpinned with sharper, more focused application

Make sense? Of course it does

The best motivation to sleep is retiring to your dream mattress. If your go-to sleep has the perfect comfort and support, you’d even be prepared to work a little harder for it each day. No matter what your daytime responsibilities, at night-time, you’re responsible for your own quality of sleep. You know that. Dial•a•Bed knows that. Before that next work emergency, make sure you’re already sleeping on the mattress you deserve, let alone need.

Find your performance superpower at www.dialabed.co.za. Then find the time to pop into your nearest store. It’ll be time well invested. #SleepForLife

TAKE CARE: Lifestyle recommendation is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional should you be experiencing prolonged sleep difficulties or related health issues.