“A good rest is half the work.”

~ Yugoslav Proverb

Strong work ethic? You can still justify taking a break. In fact, we NEED to take breaks — regularly and frequently. Why? WE WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY WHEN WE DON’T WORK SO MUCH.

Rest periods and vacations break our work routines. They help SHIFT OUR THINKING from its habitual, stuck patterns. They create the SPACE FOR ENERGY AND CREATIVITY to flow. They give us TIME FOR REFLECTION, so we can step back and look at what’s happening in our lives with greater detachment. We become more sensitive and aware.

And finally, we are stronger when we balance doing with being. All work and no play throws our life out of balance and endangers our health. Our bodies and minds need sufficient rest for recuperation. This is critically important with the level of stress in our lives these days.

Most importantly keep in mind the main reason we work so hard and that is to take care of our families and have a better quality of life. The only problem is that most people start sacrificing both of those things in their pursuit for success. The most successful people know where their focus really needs to be. That is on family and enjoyment of life. Work  is a means to an end.

“The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.”

~ Sidney J. Harris

“I still need more healthy rest in order to work at my best. My health is the main capital I have and I want to administer it intelligently.”

~ Ernest Hemingway

Live life with passion and not regret, take the time you need to ensure you have a happy and fulfilled life.

Common sense would tell us that we sleep to recuperate our energy from a day’s work. But sleeping is a far more complex process than we think. Scientists have conducted numerous studies to answer that question.

NEED TO SLEEP

Sleeping has physiological and psychological purposes. Physiologically, sleeping helps us make brain connections, helps the immune system and helps us grow. This is whyawn.jpgy babies and children tend to sleep many hours, while adults tend to sleep less. Psychologically, sleep helps us make neurological connections and consolidate memories.

Without sleep we experience a number of physical and mental problems. We can develop depression, experience slow reaction times, slurred speech and become irritable. Sleeplessness can also affect our hormonal levels. Two hormones affected are leptin and ghrelin. Leptin is associated with the satiated feeling or fullness after eating. Ghrelin is associated with appetite stimulation. It’s no wonder people with sleeping disorders may experience weight changes.

NOT SLEEPING AROUND

The most famous record of sleep deprivation attempt was by Randy Gardner. In 1963, Randy Gardner, a high school student, self imposed this task for a science fair competition. He stayed awake 11 days. (That’s right – 264 hours without shut-eye). This feat became one of the most important sleep studies of our time. As of today, the Guinness world record is 449 hours.

What we know about sleep deprivation from these brave individuals is that there are numerous short and long-term complications. These individuals felt dizzy, had memory problems and experienced hallucinations. Studies of long term sleep deprivation in rats have resulted in death.

Our bodies can handle extreme conditions and it is built to survive. Sleep is one of those important processes that we are quick to sacrifice. Whether you are a “morning person” or a “night-owl” sleep is an important part of life (At least one third of it). So get enough sleep and enjoy it!

What about you? What are the effect that you experience when you do not sleep?

Join the conversation!