Stop making excuses: prioritize your sleep

Your day-to-day is stressful, time runs out and your commitment to getting in bed on time vanishes. Tomorrow I will recover, you think. But you don’t. In the beginning, it seems you are able to deal with everything and keep your productivity up. The day stretches and sleep moves to second place, until sleep deprivation becomes the main character. You can’t focus, irritation is your mood and productivity sinks. You are just tired, very tired, and even after a full night’s sleep, the recovery is not complete. There was actually no net gain: everything you thought you were gaining is now slipping away, and more importantly, there is a price to pay: your health.

The symptoms you are undergoing are only the tip of the iceberg: your brain is under stress, your immune system has weakened and you are more likely to suffer a heart attack. You decide to change your habits, so that the foggy mind is gone and your high productivity is back. For some weeks, it works. Through an active effort you manage to follow the plan and get the rest you need. Eventually, urgent responsibilities kick in: the project deadline, the exams, the kids… The cycle starts again. I will manage, you think, despite the exhaustion and the chaos.

Your body is keeping score. Every sleep-deprived season leaves a scar. In the long term, the chickens come home to roost. There will be a negative impact on your health. Please, do not underestimate the power of rest. Sleep heals, and your body needs that healing.