The conversation of sleep has recently come up in the last few weeks amongst some fellow workshifters in my town. All of us are notorious for pulling late hours and depriving ourselves of recharge. For some reason there is a common badge of honor associated with this practice. I believe this is a myth. Getting little or no sleep on purpose is not a badge of honor, it's terribly unproductive.
I was the guy that claimed my most creative and productive time was between 1am and 4am. Not true. It was only that way because I wasted time during the day and had to meet a deadline.
Can any of you relate?
Now I am not advocating you hold yourself to a 9-5 workshifting schedule where you go to sleep at 10pm and get up at 6am. Many of us left that way of life behind. I am recommending you build sleep into your life. I have a friend who goes to sleep at 4am and begins his day at noon. His lifestyle fits into this schedule and he is well rested.
Hopefully, you realize by now that sleep is important. If you're not convinced, here are a few resources to check out:
You may not be at a point where creating a schedule for more sleep on a daily basis is realistic. I have been there. My solution was a sleep investment. I would choose a day (every week or two) and not set an alarm. I slept until I was done. This helped me restore some balance internally. This investment paid dividends. My body and brain loved me for it.
It is easy to get burnt out workshifting. The nature of working anywhere tends to have us working all the time. This usually eats into other areas essential to living a healthy life.
Resist the temptation of sleep deprivation. Work hard. Play hard. Sleep hard.
Photo Credit: Paul Jacobson
