Sleep is one of the fundamental pillars of wellbeing and the foundation upon which you must base your personal development plan. If you don’t get enough of it, all kinds of barriers spring up like negative mood swings, a reduction in focus and destructive influences on how much you eat – just to name a few of those bad boys. All of those points mentioned above and more will block your path to becoming a better ‘you’.
First of all, getting enough sleep does a number of things to keep you alert, and sustain a sufficient level of productivity and keep you mentally on track. The right amount of shuteye will make planning your personal development goals much easier and more effective.
The Roman poet Juvenal put it very nicely when he listed the following as one of the things, which is desirable in life: ‘Mens sane in corpore sano’ – ‘a healthy mind in a healthy body.’
So, how do you get that healthy mind that springs from a healthy body? You nurture it as if it were your temple. And let’s be frank here, there is nothing more important to live a balanced life. The following points will show you why sleep is the foundation of your personal development and the springboard to growth.
It increases creativity
To provoke inspiration for your personal growth, you need to get enough sleep. At this juncture, you might ask yourself, what is enough sleep? Does it not depend on the person? The answer is yes. However, don’t believe claims made by people that boast they only need a few hours a night – it’s just not true. It is scientifically proven that children need more than adults and that grownups need something in the realms of between seven and nine hours of shuteye to function at their full potential.
A well-rested mind is ready to take on anything. Whether you need a spark of brilliance in your work or to start a new hobby, sluggishness is the enemy. Nurturing our springboard to personal success begins at night and ends in the morning with a happy yawn and the will to jump out of bed, no matter how comfy and warm you may feel.
It improves mental clarity
We have all experienced it when an electronic device running on batteries starts to operate at a lower level because of a dwindling supply in power. The same goes for you if you don’t get enough rest. And frighteningly enough if you are one of those people that have suffered from a lack of sleep over a more extended period, chances are you won’t even notice your reduced level of cognitive efficiency.
When you sleep well your brain has the opportunity to recalibrate and refresh so that you can think more clearly. This forms one of the cornerstones of your personal development because you cannot build a house on a shoddy foundation.
Sleep improves your mood and sense of wellbeing
As Aristotle once put it, ‘Happiness depends upon ourselves.’ If you do not get enough sleep, you will feel angrier and more stressed, making simple cognitive tasks far more challenging. Also, your brain will be affected if you don’t catch enough ZZZ’s, even causing brain cells to eat parts of the synapses. The effects of sleep deprivation on your brain and body are significant, which is why you must do your utmost to make sure you develop an effective routine before bed as part of your overall strategy.
It helps maintain a healthy weight
If losing weight is a part of your personal development plan, sleep is half of the battle. And let’s face it; maintaining a healthy weight is critical if you want to achieve your goals no matter your age.
What do the most of us do when we feel sluggish? We eat to promote energy. And often, our choice in food will not be the right one. Maybe you are at work, and you only need a quick fix, or sugar is just the thing to heighten those energy levels. To make a long story short, excessive snacking leads to high calorie intake and consequently to weight gain.
To hit you with the number one fact: When you are well rested, your brain is better prepared to control your appetite and stop you from overindulging in those snacks.
Choosing the right mattress to help you on your way
This is essential! You won’t get those desired ZZZ’s if you sleep on a bed of nails. Come on, let’s face it, not many of you are highly focused fakirs with the ability to do that.
So make it a priority to start in the right place. Don’t impede your personal growth by making the wrong choices because it is all up to you to make sleeping as easy and as pleasant as possible. There are so many types of mattresses out there to choose from – make it your priority and what might have been five hours of shuteye might turn into a healthy eight or nine.
Sleep increases stamina, paving the way for better personal development.
You undoubtedly know what it is like to wake up after a good night’s sleep. You feel refreshed and genuinely eager to take on the day. What better catalyst is there when you are becoming the better ‘you.’
Sleep reduces stress and helps to keep you focused
Not only is stress dangerous, it can also totally derail your personal development goals by entirely taking away the good focus and replacing it with the bad. We all know what it is like to let a bad thing manifest itself, and let it take control of our day. Seriously reduce the chances of this negative emotion grabbing you by the jugular by getting enough rest.
Marcus Aurelius, one of the five good Roman emperors, once said: “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”
Life is a privilege, and it should be a pleasure if you are doing the right thing, so don’t let something like sleep deprivation get in the way of your personal development goals. Because only through personal growth will you become a better version of yourself.
Greg Mercer has dedicated himself to producing helpful guides for people to benefit from for over half a decade. Helping others enjoy a better quality of sleep, and life in general, was the main reason he started publishing his reviews and guides.