SLEEP BETTER, LEAD BETTER

This is the second post in a series of entries related to working smarter not just harder. The second lifestyle choice discussed involves our beliefs and behaviors regarding sleep. As we know sleep is an essential but often neglected aspect of a happy, healthy, and successful life. Unfortunately, as school leaders high quality sleep that refreshes, invigorates and rejuvenates is often elusive and infrequent. Sleep deprivation is directly linked to decreased productivity, memory loss, decrease in energy and performance, cancer, numerous chronic diseases, autoimmune issues, and obesity. It is often a result of leaders trying to balance home, work, family, and life in general.   Over time, burning the candle at both ends simply results in a decline in the quality of one’s life and work. Working harder (or more) is NOT working smarter.

I encourage school leaders to read, Sleep Smarter: 21 Proven Tips to Sleep Your Way to a Better Body, Better Health, Bigger Success by Shawn Stevenson. Its a quick and easy read.  The author contends that the quantity of sleep is not of utmost importance but rather the quality of sleep one obtains is essential to overall well-being and success. Topics such as: Getting more sunlight, avoiding electronic screens before bed, having a caffeine curfew, identifying the “right” time to go to bed relative to sleep cycles (very informative!), creating a sleep sanctuary, darkening your room at night, and getting your “friends” out of your bedroom (the dangers of electronic and cellular devices) provide the reader with information related to sleep and its impact on success and wellness.

In the short but value-packed chapters the author explains the value and significance of high quality sleep and specific, practical strategies and actionable steps ("Power Tips") designed to improve the quality of your sleep, all of which are easily assimilated into one’s current routine and can be implemented almost immediately. Power Tips such as the following are what help to make this book a "must have" for school leaders.

• The body clock is most responsive to sunlight between the hours of 6:30AM-8:00AM and direct sunlight outdoors for 30 minutes has been shown to produce the best benefit.
• To improve the likelihood of achieving deep sleep, turn off all screens (TV, cell phones, laptops, tablets, etc) at least 90 minutes before bedtime.  Research shows the artificial light produced by such devices interrupts the release of melatonin, a nighttime hormone for sleep
• Use a blue light blocker for screen protection.  A free app is shared in the book.
• Caffeine has a half-life just like other drugs. To ensure your body has time to remove caffeine from your body before you go to sleep, set a caffeine curfew, usually 2PM for the average person.  No more caffeine after this time.
• Sleep cycles typically last for 90 minutes.  Calculate how to ensure you wake up at the end of a sleep cycle rather than in the middle.  You will feel more refreshed.
• Improve the air quality in your sleep space by adding certain houseplants.
• Keep work out of your bedroom.  Reserve your bed for sleep.
• Black out your bedroom at night.  Use blackout curtains to block out "light pollution."
• Keep all electronics out of your bedroom, including TV and cell phones.  This removes radiation and the disruption to sleep cycles caused by watching TV just before bed.  Let your brain rest!

Working hard is without question a significant aspect of what makes people successful. Highly successful school leaders exemplify this. However, success does not have to come at a price. Working smarter and establishing healthy, lifestyle habits designed to promote and maintain balance is essential to one’s long-term success. Validating the importance of high quality sleep by implementing sleep favorable strategies will not only improve effectiveness and productivity but also move you forward in your quest toward balance.