We’ve all been in that situation: because you are tired, you fail to pay attention at work. Sometimes, like being in an important business meeting, that lack of attention can be embarrassing. Other times, like working in dangerous situation, it can be life-threatening.
Make no mistake: rest matters in your professional life. But did you know just how true that statement actually is? Beyond just anecdotal evidence and personal experience, several studies have shown the variety of influences rest can have on your professional success. Here are just a few:
1) Rest = Better Attention
Let’s start with the most obvious. If you’re sleepy, chances are you will have more difficulty paying attention at work. That can be inconvenient for a desk job, but becomes outright dangerous in some lines of work – or even on the commute to your workplace.
For example, one study found that sleepiness can slow your reaction times down as much as being under the influence does. Driving sleepy, in other words, can be as bad as driving drunk. A good night’s rest, on the other hand, will ensure that you are awake and alert for your job.
2) Rest Improves Memory
A 2005 study found a remarkable result: a good night’s sleep can actually improve your memory, both in the short and the long term. As it turns out, the process of sleeping in itself strengthens new experiences, allowing your brain a better chance to commit them into long-term memory. In the decade since, several other studies have confirmed these findings.
Naturally, improved memory will help your job performance. Whether you are about to give an important presentation, or simply want to remember the project you started working on yesterday, you will be much more likely to succeed with a good night of sleep and rest on your side.
3) Lack of Sleep Impedes Problem Solving
The flipside of the above point is what happens if you don’t sleep enough. As research has shown, even a single night that includes a lack of sleep will impede your cognitive abilities, including your problem solving abilities.
The vast majority of jobs on some level require problem solving abilities, be it theoretically on the computer or practically at a factory. But if you don’t sleep enough, your abilities to complete the necessary activities to succeed in your job will be decreased, and you will not be able to perform up to your potential will diminish.
4) Sleeping Reduces Weight
Multiple studies have found the positive effects of sleeping on your weight, but what you might not know is just how much that connection can affect your work performance.
Whether it happens consciously or unconsciously, your weight can have a significant impact on your career. You will be judged differently by others, whether you are interviewing for a new job or impressing your co-workers in your current position. In addition, being overweight can have negative effects on your confidence levels, further decreasing your potential job performance.
The Importance of Resting
Whether you have just taken on a new job or simply want to impress your supervisors, it’s easy to get carried away. Working hard is one thing, but never work so hard that it takes away your ability to sleep and get a good night’s rest. Otherwise, you risk actually counteracting your best efforts to succeed in your job.
Resting at night depends on many components, but undoubtedly one of them is finding the right mattress to get comfortable. And that’s where we come in! Our mattresses, made entirely from natural materials, will help you get the rest you deserve. And considering that we donate 2% of every sale to a local charity, you can even rest well knowing that you are supporting a good cause through the simple act of sleeping. Contact us to get the rest you need, and succeed in your job.