What do Jeff Bezos and Whitney Wolfe Herd have in common? Both are billionaires, and both have spoken publicly on the value of getting enough sleep. According to Bezos, “8 hours of sleep makes a big difference… that’s the needed amount to feel energized and excited.” Herd agrees, saying that “nothing is more nourishing to your mind, body, and soul than a good night’s sleep.” Many successful people agree; both Marie Kondo and Warren Buffet also claim to get the recommended 8 hours of sleep each night.
Outside the realm of public figures, science also preaches the benefits of sleeping well. Regular sleep improves both declarative and procedural memory, making both fact retrieval and routine task mastery easier. For jobs that require creativity and problem solving skills, it is true that solutions often come in the form of dreams; REM sleep is one of the biggest factors of nurtured creativity. Just as valuable as doing well the first time is avoiding errors. Sleep drastically reduces the number of clerical errors and mistakes people make. The benefits of sleep go beyond mental; sleep also bolsters the immune system. People who regularly get between 7 and 8 hours of sleep are 29% more productive than those who sleep less than 5, increasing their chances of success.
Despite all this research singing sleep’s praises, many Americans are still hesitant to invest. Some truly do remain ignorant, but others see the night hours as a scarce supply of free time. It can be hard to commit to spending most of one’s non-working hours unconscious. Yet getting enough sleep is a quality of life issue. The more (and better) sleep one gets, the longer they live. The better financial decisions they are able to make. The safer they are behind the wheel. Insufficient sleep costs Americans more than $411 billion every year. “Sleep deprivation is an illegal torture method… but most of us do it to ourselves,” says Ryan Hurd, an independent researcher.
How can people improve their habits? There are several strategies out there. Some tips apply to certain groups more than others. For example, alcoholism devastates an individual’s sleep. 2 or more servings of alcohol a day reduces sleep quality by 39.3%. On the subject of alcohol, all-nighters (going 48 hours without sleep) have similar mental effects to heavy intoxication. The worst thing a person can do to their sleep schedule is get none of it. For individuals with insomnia, a weighted blanket can turn the tide in moderate cases.
More common sleeping tips include washing one’s sheets more often. 73% of people say they are more excited to sleep with fresh sheets. If possible, invest in a more comfortable mattress as well; 93% of people think their mattress contributes to their best quality of sleep. It’s also worth it to give electronics a bedtime before one’s own. Blue light exposure inhibits melatonin. Above all, aim for the recommended amount of sleep, which is between 7 and 8 hours a night. Consistently.
