Sleep is important for personal development.

Many things affect our ability to make progress with personal development.

Lack of sleep, or ‘sleep deprivation‘ will hinder personal growth.

So, what is sleep deprivation and what kind of effects does it have?

Sleep deprivation in simple terms is the state of having less sleep than you actually need. Note that I did not say less than you think you need. What you think you need and what your body actually requires can be two very different things. For example; one of my medical doctor friends was suffering from sleep apnea and was unaware of the problem initially, despite being trained in medicine. Just because you think you are getting enough sleep does not mean that you are! Click here for more Wikipedia information on sleep deprivation.

What effects does sleep deprivation have?

In simple terms, sleep deprivation can impair your ability to drive a motor vehicle in a similar manner to drinking alcohol. It will also contribute to increasing weight. You won’t think as well, or as clearly. Your health will suffer. Sleep deprivation has profound effects on the mind; which is why the method is so popular as an interrogation tool too.

If you look at the Wikipedia article above you will see a huge list of the effects of sleep deprivation, some very nasty and severe. Many of these are mind related and will clearly conflict with your goals for personal development. How do you expect to make good progress with personal growth while sleep deprived?

The simple truth is that you cannot cheat life. Life will give you what you put in. Whether you believe it or not. If you don’t get enough sleep then many aspects of your life will suffer. And maybe your partner’s and dog’s lives too.

Here are some tips for getting better sleep:

• Review your life carefully.
• Seek the counsel of close family members (e.g; do you snore a lot, toss and turn at night, do you always look tired?) and especially qualified medical personnel. You may have a medical condition like my doctor friend.
• Get a good quality mattress. Spend time on research.
• Get a good quality pillow. Research it, yes, really. We have very good pillows and our sleep is much better as a result.
• Check out this resource from the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School and WGBH Educational Foundation. There is even a PDF download of the advice so you can save it to your computer or print it off. Be sure to check out the rest of their sleep pages while you are there.
• Purchase the Harvard Medical School Guide to A Good Night’s Sleep (link below).
• Be wary of negative conditioning. Some days I have a ‘nana nap’ in the afternoon. I am in my mid 40′s.I had them in my 20′s and 30′s too. Some people use the term ‘nana nap’ in a derogatory fashion and scoff at people who need a day time sleep. Don’t let people put you off. Having a ‘nana nap’ if you need one is smart thinking.

Related posts:

1. Sleep – health, productivity and personal development.
2. Good health practice is integral to personal development
3. Why the right computer game helps personal development.
4. Sometimes, the key to feeling much better is very simple.
5. Personal development can be uncomfortable.