Sleep is something we all need, and we know it… so why do we so often make it the lowest priority? Everyone has the same amount of hours in their day, but there is such a discrepancy in the amount of sleep we get. How do we manage our sleep if we often feel like we have so little time to dedicate to it in the first place? Let’s talk about it.

Why do we avoid sleep?

• Big project due - often on a tight deadline due to procrastination.
• You are taking on more than you can handle.
• It’s seen as an inconvenience. Something that gets in the way of other things happening.
• Time management is off and things that are important get shifted to late night.
• Sometimes we just can’t get the sleep we want because of life circumstances: kids, multiple jobs, school, and so on.

What can we do to prioritize sleep?

• Change our view of sleep - see it as necessary, not optional.
• Stop procrastinating or considering it ok to “pull an all nighter” (easier said than done, we know)
• Track the sleep you’re getting. Seeing real data can open your eyes to some bad habits.
• Find a form of accountability.

Why is sleep important for working from home specifically?

• According to a study from the American Heart Association: “researchers found that sleep deprivation is associated with overeating. In the study, people who were sleep deprived ate more than 500 additional calories daily.” - Time Magazine
• We work from home and food is much more accessable. We are also less likely to get as much exercise since it’s not a requirement to leave our space.
• According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, getting good sleep, especially REM sleep, helps the brain better process emotional information. This can affect our mood, which in turn affects our behaviors.