On sleep

Something that I’ve noticed about the most successful people I’ve met is that they understand the value of sleep.

There are countless studies showing the detrimental effects of not getting enough sleep. I’ve recently read Why We Sleep, a book by Matthew Walker, and the consequences of not sleeping enough are brutal.

Sleeping less than six or seven hours a night can increase your risk of cancer by 50%.

Driving without sufficient sleep causes more accidents than alcohol and drugs combined.

The physical and mental impairments caused by a single night of bad sleep dwarfs those caused by an equivalent absence of food or exercise.

It’s amazing that we live in a society where not getting enough sleep is the societal norm. Although sleep is clearly necessary, we do anything and everything to spend more hours awake.

This trend has been omnipresent throughout my life, and I’ve seen it reach its peak while attending high school and now college.

Because of this, it almost makes sense that with everyone coveting the same two goals – success and more time in the day – that the two would be closely knit.

I’ve found that it is the complete opposite. The most successful people I’ve met understand the value of giving their minds and bodies time to recover.

Rather than bending the constraints of our bodies through caffeine and other stimulants, they focus instead on making the best use of their time.

Adequate sleep has been proven time and time again to increase focus, creativity, and productivity: take some extra time tonight to invest in your tomorrow.