Skills For Success

As part of a wellness campaign by one of my clients I was hired to answer questions on sleep deprivation. Many of the employees work shifts so you can imagine that they are likely more sleep deprived than those who have regular work hours.  We fielded many questions.  Here's one important piece of information that I shared with a number of folks....

According to William Dement, the researcher who first observed and coined the term "Rapid Eye Movement" (REM),  if you lose just one hour of sleep every night for a week you will feel like you stayed awake for 24 straight hours.  So what do you do if you lose sleep one night? Here's what  happened to me...

Since I had to be up at 3:30 AM to catch the morning shiftworkers that day, I experienced sleep deprivation of just 2.5 hours that night.  I did not have any extra sleep for the next two nights and I felt "a little tired". Finally on Saturday morning I let myself sleep in until  I woke up naturally -- without an alarm clock. 

The solution to losing sleep once in the while is to pay back your sleep debt as soon as you can. Even if it means going to bed earlier two or three nights to do so, or catching a nap if at all possible.

If you are among the many who have experienced years of sleep deprivation,   it may take a few weeks of going to be earlier or catching naps to return to a better sleep schedule for you.  But the payback in feeling alert, alive, and joyful is worth the effort!