All families have favorite sayings. Things that Mom and Dad say that drive their kids crazy. One of the things I constantly reinforce with my kids is “sleep is a weapon.” I remind them about it prior to an upcoming major test—I tell them they are better off having a good night’s sleep than staying up late and cramming.
“Sleep is a weapon” is also true for all of us—whether we are taking a test the next day or not. Consider these statistics from Success Magazine:
- 29% of workers have literally fallen asleep on the job.
- $16 billion (yes, that’s a B) is spent annually for sleep disorders. The cost of lost productivity is even greater.
- 100,000 automobile crashes are caused by drowsy driving each year, resulting in 40,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths
- 30% (how much less efficient your body is at burning calories when it’s sleep deprived.
So sleep makes a difference—on a personal and professional level.
Let me give you a personal example. I’m currently training for The Hottest Half (it’s a half marathon in Texas in the middle of August). For my training runs I need to get up at 5:00 or 5:30. But since it’s the summer I tend to stay up late catching up on various things. So invariably I’ve been getting to bed around 11:00 or later. Which means I’m averaging six hours of sleep per night (at best). Last week I did an eight mile run on five hours of sleep. That’s when I realized it should have been the other way around: a five mile run eight hours of sleep! My wife gently reminded me that I was simply not getting enough sleep. She was right—sleep was a weapon. So now I’m making sure I got to bed on time. While it makes for an early evening, it pays huge dividends in my training and in the rest of my day.
Let me also give you a professional example. I speak at events and conduct strategic planning sessions for organizations all over the country. It’s tempting to fly in at the last minute. However, if I get in too late the night before an engagement, then I’m not going to have enough time to get a seven or eight hour night’s rest. And there is a direct correlation between my performance and my sleep. The better night’s rest I get, the better the engagement goes.
No amount of red bull makes up for a lack sleep. Remember, sleep is a weapon (both personally and professionally). I’m off to take a nap (just kidding!).
Think Huge!
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