40 winks

The average person sleeps for 24 years in a lifetime, so really how much sleep do you really need to be productive?

The most common answer you’ll probably hear is around 8 hours, but the truth is that there isn’t any clinical evidence to support this. However there are studies that indicate that people who get 6.5-7.5 hours of sleep per night:

• Live the longest
• Are more productive
• Are more happier

This statement isn’t a one size fits all analytic, but it could be beneficial to yourself to challenge your routine to ensure you’re getting the most out of your sleeping pattern.

Some other useful tips to ensuring you get the most out of your day include-

1. Napping for 20 minutes every day. Whether it’s at your desk or when you first get home. 40 winks restores alertness and increases your productivity levels. Might be worth letting your manager know first though!
2. Develop a sleep ritual. In order to sleep at a certain time each night, you need to disengage your brain. Some ways to do this include going for a walk before bed, or to reading fiction. This frees your mind from your busy day and allows you to enter a different world.
3. When setting your morning alarm, have an immediate goal of something to do; shower, breakfast or shave – otherwise that snooze button will seem too tempting.
4. Be tired in every way. In order to get the highest quality of sleep, you will need to be both physically and mentally drained. So you now have one less excuse to get down the gym.

In summary you need to ensure you have enough sleep so you are able to work to your maximum potential.

We all need beauty sleep, but did you know that women need approximately 20 more minutes sleep than men? This is because women’s brains are far more complex and wired differently- but you already knew that!