“How much sleep do you need to work effectively?”, “How do beautiful bedding and a comfortable mattress affect our well-being and effectiveness at work?”

In the modern world, where a million events happen in an instant and a person is in one way or another influenced by a huge amount of information, it is especially important to learn how to properly replenish your strength and learn how to fully and “effectively” rest. It is the problem of restoring their vitality that successful and active people very often address. Comfort is very important for each of us; in those rare moments when, while at home or on a business trip, we look for this island of “rest and peace,” hoping that we will replenish our strength for new achievements and solutions to vital problems.

Health care specialists have confirmed that comfortable and adequate sleep has a huge impact on a person’s mental state, the normal functioning of the body and, as a result, on his performance and success in life.
Help: Efficiency is the ability to do one thing for a long time without losing the quality of work and interest in it. It depends on many circumstances, for example, on motivation, on professionalism, on the psycho-emotional state, time of day and special mood.

Zero performance is the absence of the ability to act, and, accordingly, the absence of effect (modern economic dictionary).

What is an important factor in achieving success and how is our ability to relax and rest connected with our creative thinking and ability to solve creative problems in business? It turns out there is a connection. There is such a concept in psychology as a neuromuscular clamp. This is a state of extreme tension and compression at the level of both body and thought. Being in this state, it is impossible to find solutions to complex problems and even just feel good and resourceful. And while a person cannot relax, rest, sleep and restore his strength, it is absolutely impossible to be in a resourceful state and make the right business decisions, and of course, performance and level of attention drops. That is why all artists, big businessmen, and in general all successful people attach great importance to rest and comfortable sleep. You all know what a rider is, in which a comfortable place to rest and sleep is important. And as a rule, this is not a whim, but a vital moment in the restoration of a person’s strength.

Sleep is an important function, a state of great general biological significance. A person spends a third of his life sleeping and cannot live without sleep. As noted by I.P. Pavlov, sleep is not just rest, but an active state of the body, which is characterized by a special form of brain activity. In particular, during sleep, information accumulated by a person over the previous time is analyzed and processed.

The life of modern people is structured in such a way that very little time is allocated for sleep, forgetting that our resource state directly depends on how our body rested at night. So how much sleep to get enough sleep?

Of course, this directly depends on the person himself and on the time of year and on many other factors. There are people who get enough sleep in 5-6 hours, but for the average person 6-7 hours is enough to get a good night's sleep.

In order for complete restoration of strength to occur during sleep, you need to adhere to certain rules:

• adherence to clockwork
• The quality of sleep largely depends on how comfortable the sleeping place itself is: bed, mattress, as well as pillow, blanket, pajamas. The correct position of the spine during sleep is also an important factor in order to get a good night's sleep. If after sleep you feel heaviness in your head or as if you were being pounded on the back and your body aches, perhaps it’s time to think about choosing the right mattress and other bedding from a health point of view. And of course, if you want to be in a good state of performance or good rest while on a trip (business trip or vacation), you need to be careful about where, how and where you spend your sleep time.
• no unpleasant odors or extraneous noise
• There should always be fresh and cool air in the bedroom. Do not overeat or drink alcohol before going to bed. Food and alcohol overload the body, forcing it to process these products instead of sleep. In order to fall asleep quickly and deeply, you do not need to drink coffee and tea before bed, or watch TV or sit at the computer for a long time.
• If you have experienced a lot of stress during the day, learn meditation and relaxation techniques and make it a habit to do them before bed to calm your mind and fall asleep peacefully, leaving problem solving for the next day.

Every successful person understands that in order to always be “on top” it is very important to learn to take care of yourself: about your nutrition, sleep and rest, about a positive psycho-emotional state. Learn to properly distribute work and rest time. Create comfortable living conditions for yourself: so that everything pleases the eye when you come home. This is the tenderness of a pleasant silk sheet, and a comfortable bed, the freshness and aroma of the air. All this, at first glance, does not seem very important, but in fact it gives our body great pleasure, and brings our psyche into a state of calm and inner harmony. Learn to take care of yourself, your relaxation and comfort, your health, and your body will respond to you with strength, great mood and a huge amount of vital energy, and this is precisely the key to success and prosperity in life.

Featured in Business Traveler magazine

As you know, modern people of working age often spend more time at work rather than at home. But even if this is not the case, the attitude towards the field of activity still affects the quality of family life and mood. Let's look at what exactly affects a person's performance, how to improve it and avoid trouble.

Lifestyle

Each person has his own lifestyle: some lead a healthy lifestyle, while others like a sedentary lifestyle with bad habits. It would seem, what does he have to do with work? Actually straight. Imagine that a person moves little, after work he sits almost until the morning playing computer games, drinking beer. Will he be cheerful, will he be able to work actively during the day after a sleepless night? Most likely not. That is, lifestyle can also include sleep patterns, when a person goes to bed and what time he gets up.

Various traditions also relate to the way of life. For example, on a day off or after work, walks or outdoor games, skiing or cycling are required.

A person’s performance is also influenced by his attitude towards people around him, especially family members and relatives. If a quarrel with a loved one suddenly occurs, the work will probably not be very productive.

How we spend our free time, whether there are interesting activities or hobbies, also influences our performance. In addition, favorite things that increase the incentive not so much for the upcoming work, but for life in general, contribute to the quality of the duties performed.

Health status and well-being

Almost everyone knows that poor health interferes with any work. In this case, it is better to take time off and rest at home. If it’s really bad, then go to the doctor.

As for chronic fatigue and poor health, you need to take care of yourself outside of working hours and visit a competent specialist. After all, human health and performance are closely interconnected.

Probably everyone has heard the term “vitaminosis” - a deficiency of vitamins and minerals in the body always leads to a decrease in mental and physical activity.

A sedentary lifestyle quickly leads to fatigue and irritation, and regular exercise, walking and even dancing restore overall well-being.

Sleep quality

A person’s performance also depends on sleep. What is yours? Good restful sleep guarantees normal work activity. Therefore, it is advisable to decide on a sleep and wakefulness schedule. But if the work schedule is shifting or daily, sliding, then you have to adapt to the work.

In addition, sleep is greatly influenced by thoughts and events that happened that same day or in the evening. Therefore, it is recommended to make peace with loved ones before going to bed, leaving all problems for another time in order to give the brain, heart, and soul a rest.

Insomnia and certain diseases often prevent you from getting enough sleep. All this leads to apathy and a decrease in labor activity. Therefore, this problem should be resolved with a doctor or psychotherapist (depending on the reason for the lack of sleep).

With rare exceptions, it also happens that a person who has not slept for almost a day continues to be awake. If you don’t want to sleep, you can work and then go to bed with a calm soul.

Working hours

Many areas and professions cannot do without a certain work schedule:

• weekdays;
• day;
• 2/2, 3/3, etc.;
• sliding.

Workers with unstable schedules are advised to pay attention to their own bodies: if you really want to sleep while relaxing at home, then it is better to dismantle the bed and lie down. You should not ignore the body’s signal, as unpleasant symptoms may then arise that will become chronic: lack of sleep, fatigue, insomnia, nervousness. A well-rested person is ready for work, but only on the condition that the sleep was healthy.

The impact on human performance is very large. Often, failures in the regime lead not so much to fatigue and exhaustion, but to serious illnesses. Therefore, representatives of some professions have to visit many doctors, that is, undergo a medical examination. Only healthy people are hired for daily work and 12-hour shifts with hazardous working conditions.

It is no longer a secret that an interruption in the biological rhythm leads to a change in blood composition for the worse, blood pressure changes, and the heartbeat quickens.

Working conditions

The next factor in human performance is working conditions. First of all, this concerns lighting, noise, and microclimate. It is impossible to work where normal conditions are not met.

Therefore, when applying for a job, you should ask the employer to show you the conditions under which the work will take place and what you need to do.

Routine and quickly lead to apathy and fatigue. If you have the opportunity to switch to something else or just leave your workplace for a few minutes, then be sure to do it. For example, you are a dispatcher, and the selector is turned on on your desk. You can hear it from every corner of the room. You have the opportunity to get up from your chair and do some exercises. Then the work will become more active and the mood will appear. The same applies to other workers with a sedentary profession.

Heat or, conversely, cold must be excluded by the management of the enterprise. Conditions must be created in accordance with sanitary standards.

Time of day and seasonality

Agree, work in the evening and at night is more difficult. Although in our time people are divided into “night owls” and “larks”. Therefore, of course, it is more convenient for some to work at night, while for others their work goes well in the morning. But the highest human performance still occurs in the first half of the day, during daylight hours.

In addition, in winter, performance decreases due to the fact that the days are shorter and the nights are longer. In spring and autumn, each of us is attacked by the blues due to climate change, sudden changes in weather and decreased immunity. Therefore, it is better to prevent colds and vitamin deficiencies in advance in February and August.

In the summer, everyone wants to go on vacation to the sea. But nevertheless, it will be comfortable to work when there is no heat.

Nutrition

Our health depends on what we eat. Agree that eating chips and hamburgers every day instead of vegetables, grains and fruits will sooner or later lead to illness. Currently, many people are switching to a healthy and natural diet: their own vegetables, fruits, sprouted grains and legumes, clean water, herbal teas and fruit drinks, seafood. And nutritious nutrition improves performance!

The more healthy and nutritious food in the diet, the better the brain will work and the body will be awake. Concentration and mood will also improve.

Regulated and lunch breaks

Lunch breaks and smoke breaks have a great influence on a person’s performance. Of course, someone literally goes to the smoking room, and someone gets up from their workplace to warm up or go to the bathroom.

The enterprise must have all conditions for breaks and rest for employees in order to avoid overwork, conflict situations and production errors.

Relationships with colleagues and management

If a person loves life, he gives love and care to everyone, then his relationships with others will be wonderful. Such a person will find a common language with both management and the team. Of course, such a worker will have a lot of energy, the work will progress successfully, in the end there will be an excellent result of the work, and at the end of the working day he will be in a good mood.

Interest in the field of activity

If a person loves his job, then everything will work out for him. Therefore, it is advisable to choose a profession that will not only bring profit, but also bring pleasure. A person’s performance also increases depending on what kind of workload is expected and whether there will be breaks.

The more interesting the work, the greater the chance that there will be an excellent result. But all professions are different. For example, one of us loves to treat people and does not disdain; another, on the contrary, will not be able to work with sick people. Some are interested in economics, while others are knowledgeable about computer technology. A person’s physical performance will be high for those who love sports, an active lifestyle, and can boast of good health.

There are many other factors that influence people's activities. But the most important things can be called lifestyle and love for work. In addition, workers must be provided with a safe and comfortable environment. Psycho-emotional mood, resistance to stress - this is what also affects everyone’s performance.

What is performance

Efficiency refers to a person’s social and everyday capabilities aimed at performing this or that work in order to achieve a specific set result, its qualitative presentation with the optimal amount of energy expended.

The concept of performance includes such characteristics of a person as his weight and height, body structure and genetic abilities, as well as professional skills and experience. A person’s performance directly depends on both his physiological and emotional capabilities, which in turn are influenced by the processes occurring during sleep. Don’t forget about a full meal, if you don’t have the opportunity to dine at home, then heated lunch box will help you solve the problem of hot food at any time and anywhere.

Why is it important to get good sleep for high performance?

The variety of professional activities differentiates people and their responsibilities according to the degree of difficulty. It is impossible to say for sure who has it more difficult: some are the most physically busy, others use the maximum mental and psycho-emotional resources, and others have to combine both the first and three times.

Adequate sleep is an opportunity to replenish the expenditure of psycho-emotional and physical energy, however, this is not the only argument in favor of maintaining a high quality of night's rest. With proper organization of sleep hygiene and adherence to a time schedule, including the regulation of biorhythms and biological clocks of each individual person, his performance increases significantly compared to those workers who often stay late or work overtime. Those who combine evening “get-togethers” at work with the desire to watch the sunrise in some club have it even harder.

The importance of good sleep for improving performance is determined by the accelerated processes of regeneration and strengthening of mental activity together with the intellectual abilities inherent in a person. It is in those hours when we plunge into the deep phase of sleep that the brain begins to work on assimilating the information received, which, in fact, determines the volume of experience gained, which is important for performing this or that work. Simply put, if a person does not get enough sleep, over time, the degree of his ability to absorb new information will become less and less, which will lead to the inability to accept and use the acquired knowledge.

Consequences of impaired sleep quality for human performance

There are a number of main consequences that affect a person’s performance that arise when the quality of sleep is disturbed:

Progressive development of physical fatigue and fatigue during the day;
difficult awakening, high probability of oversleeping the required time of getting up;
difficult dreams that affect the psycho-emotional state;
loss of concentration and attentiveness;
a general decrease in reaction, the ability of the body, in general, and the brain, in particular, to respond to impulses coming from the external environment;
decreased immunity, frequent morbidity;
deterioration of intellectual abilities and memory;
inability to solve problems that previously did not cause any difficulty;
decreased vision, sensitivity and smell;
loss of the ability to think actively, which is especially critical for people working intellectually, who need to conduct open negotiations, etc.;
increased danger when working in traumatic industries, when driving a car or working with electrical, potentially dangerous tools;
a high percentage of development of concomitant sleep disorders, including insomnia, which can ultimately lead not only to local temporary changes in a person’s condition, but also to the formation of pathological abnormalities leading to the strengthening of a particular disease in the body.

All of the above leads to a decrease in efficiency, a person’s inability to fulfill the duties assigned to him, as a result of which he loses the opportunity to organize his work process. On a global scale, this leads to a slowdown in production, failed business deals, misunderstandings between potential partners, accidents in the workplace, and an overall decrease in earnings for both the employee and the company where he works.

Conclusion

It is worth noting that the most important elements that must be observed when shaping the quality of sleep are creating an optimally dark space in the bedroom and regulating the time exactly when you go to bed - the time should be the same every day, both when you get up and when you fall asleep.

Our whole life passes in two states - wakefulness and sleep. It is proper sleep that largely ensures a person’s normal well-being during the waking period. No wonder the ancient Greek sages said: sleep is the servant of life. Modern science has helped to establish the nature of such beneficial effects of sleep. It turned out that in the process, energy reserves expended during work are restored, nervous tissue is freed from decay products accumulated in it,

Lack of sleep is harmful to your health. In studies with people who voluntarily agreed to deprive themselves of sleep for a while, it was recorded that already after 5-6 days mental disorders occur in the form of hallucinations, and irritability increases sharply. Poor use of glucose by neurons, decreased iron content in the body, and metabolic disorders were noted. Even partial sleep deprivation reduces brain activity; negatively affects attention, memory, quality of thinking, worsens well-being and mental performance.

It has been established that during night sleep, an active state of the brain occurs from time to time, as during intense work. At the same time, rapid rotations of the eyeballs and body movements are observed; during such periods, a person experiences dreams. This phase of sleep has received several names: paradoxical sleep, REM sleep and rema sleep.

The other phase of sleep was called slow-wave sleep, or orthodox sleep. During slow sleep, the frequency of breathing and heart contractions decreases, body temperature decreases, the release of a number of hormones decreases, and the activity of the gastrointestinal tract decreases. There are no dreams in the slow-wave sleep phase.

Physiologists' study of the characteristics of paradoxical sleep has shown that in this phase the body undergoes profound changes. The rhythms of breathing and heart function become more frequent, blood pressure and blood pressure increase, cerebral circulation and hormonal activity increase. At the same time, deep relaxation of the muscles of the neck and face and a decrease in the tone of most muscles are recorded.

It also turned out that during the period of paradoxical sleep there is an active neutralization of toxic substances in the body, intensive cell growth, and an increase in the level of biosynthesis in neurons. There is an opinion that it is in this phase of sleep that the brain is freed from the excess information accumulated during the day.

Depriving a person of this phase of sleep sharply reduces his mental performance, leads to significant mental changes, deterioration of well-being, and the occurrence of hallucinations. In some cases, excessive excitability is observed. Therefore, an important function of paradoxical sleep is considered to be the psychological mobilization of the individual, the elimination of anxiety of neurotic origin. Consequently, for people with increased anxiety (and this condition is especially characteristic of students), REM sleep is especially necessary.

Night sleep consists of 4-5 cycles lasting 90-100 minutes. In each of them, there is a phase of drowsiness, or light sleep, and a phase of average sleep, when any noise can wake us up. This is followed by the phases of slow and fast sleep. For a full night's sleep, 7-8 hours is enough. However, not all students follow this rule. Thus, a study of the daily routine of first- and fourth-year students at the Belarusian University showed that 51% of them sleep 5-6 hours a day. Moreover, in the first year the number of such students is 59.6%. Based on research conducted at various universities in our country, 60% of first-year students and 33% of senior students have been found to lack sleep.

Adequate sleep is of particular importance during the session, when students have to master a lot of information. It is then that the student must sleep at least 8 hours! If sleep is limited to 5-6 hours, this will reduce the ability to absorb material and ultimately weaken the body.

Excessive sleep is also harmful. Excessive sleep is not considered beneficial in biological terms, since blood circulation and the functioning of the digestive organs are disrupted. Every student must remember that intense mental work should be stopped 1.5-2 hours before bedtime. Otherwise, the process of falling asleep becomes more difficult, and the sleep itself becomes less sound. The last meal should be no later than 1.5-2 hours before bedtime. It is recommended to go to bed at 23-24 hours, to get up at 7-8 hours.

You should sleep in a comfortable, but not too soft bed, lying on your right side with your legs slightly bent. In this position, the muscles relax best and the body rests.

Before going to bed, it is necessary to ventilate the room, create silence and turn off bright light sources. Unfortunately, after 24 hours in the hostel, “life” is just beginning: walking around the rooms, loud conversations, drinking tea. Daily lack of sleep causes a deterioration in mental performance and weakens the body's defenses.

A short day of passive rest is very useful. Horizontal body position improves cerebral circulation and allows muscles to relax. Daytime sleep, even short-term, perfectly restores performance. Even the ancient sages said that daily soya is beneficial; its duration should be 60 breaths, i.e. approximately 4-5 minutes.

In general, insomnia is not typical for students, but occurs only under heavy mental stress, that is, most often during the examination period, as well as with diseases such as neuroses. You can get rid of this phenomenon through proper organization of your daily routine, regular exercise, and autogenic training.

Night sleep also depends on individual typological characteristics. “Larks” should go to bed early to restore their performance. “Owls,” on the contrary, fall asleep late, but in the morning they like to sleep longer. In a student dormitory, which is inhabited by different types of people, we must try to create conditions for each other for a good night's rest.

A person's healthy sleep affects not only his well-being and appearance, but also creativity, logical thinking, decision-making, speed, concentration, memory, perception, ability to absorb new information, interaction with the environment and even the immune system.

To be highly efficient at work and regularly achieve success, you need to get a good night's sleep. Yes, that's exactly it. For example, many famous geniuses of all times were distinguished by short sleep, but, as a rule, did not live long.

In addition, the issue of sleep duration is individual. Therefore, it is best to follow the prompts of your own biological clock, as well as adhere to the basic rules of sleep hygiene. Let's look at them.

The influence of sleep on the human body and performance

Unbeknownst to others, lack of sleep in workers can accumulate over several months, especially during sedentary work. And after this time, the body refuses to “cooperate” and begins to function much worse.

The first is a deterioration in intellectual abilities. You begin to make mistakes, get nervous, act illogically and chaotically. Concentration, ability to remember, learn, and make rational decisions decrease. There is a possibility of risky behavior and loss of strength.

In addition, all this affects the appearance. People begin to consume more and more coffee or sweets because the body requires energy, and this leads to irritability and mood instability.

Long-term lack of sleep very often causes depression. A person ceases to control himself and control the surrounding situation. It is clear how this affects performance. See what the experts recommend.

To finally determine your needs for sufficient sleep, it is worth understanding some rules.

What you need for a good sleep

To begin with, you need to learn a few simple rules and follow them constantly. Failure to follow these rules leads to lack of sleep with disastrous consequences. Remember that the effectiveness of your work is affected not only by the duration, but also by the quality of sleep. Here's what you need to do to ensure healthy sleep.

1. It is preferable to sleep on an orthopedic mattress and pillow. The firmness of the mattress is selected according to the body weight of a particular person, and the pillow is selected according to the height of the shoulder.
2. Always get up at the same time in the morning, regardless of the time you fall asleep or the need to go to work. Regularity in your lifestyle and sleep has a positive effect on the quality of your rest.
3. Never try to force yourself to sleep. The deepest sleep is achieved when the body is tired. Therefore, it is recommended to engage in physical activity at the end of the day.
4. Limit the time spent in bed. If you're already awake in the morning, don't stay in bed for "five more minutes." If you still don’t want to sleep in the evening, don’t go to bed; over time you will manage to develop regularity.
5. Remove the clock from your sight in the bedroom. Frequently checking the time is an element of stress, and this does not have such a good effect on the quality of rest.
6. Ensure that the room where you sleep is adequately darkened and soundproofed. This helps in regulating the natural rhythm of the body's functioning.
7. Already half an hour before bedtime, do not engage in activities that require emotional outbursts, especially do not “sit” on the computer or smartphone. Do only things that provide peace and relaxation.
8. Remove all electronic devices from the bedroom, especially those that emit light (like a TV). This can disrupt the body's natural rhythm of day and night.
9. Don't eat before bed. The last snack should take place no later than 3-4 hours before the night's rest.
10. Avoid stimulants: caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, which disrupt the endocrine system and cause stress. But drink relaxing herbal teas.
11. Sleep in a ventilated area with room temperature and adequate humidity to promote deep sleep.
12. And be sure to close the curtains so that direct moonlight does not fall on you, especially on a full moon - look at popular beliefs.
13. Follow the natural person for wakefulness and rest.

Lifehacks for sleep

How much sleep do you need

Scientists still have not been able to 100% agree on how much nightly rest an adult needs. New publications appear on this topic from time to time. Until recently, there was an opinion that 6 hours of deep sleep was quite enough to restore strength.

One of the latest studies talks about age dependence. The latest guidelines recommend that people aged 18 to 64 get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep. This amount must be adjusted based on the circumstances of a particular situation.

It is necessary to accept as an axiom that women need a little more rest than men. You should also pay attention to the fact that in the autumn-winter period people sleep longer than in spring or summer. In sick, tired people, the duration of good sleep also increases. According to statistics, a person sleeps about a third of his life.

Special music for deep sleep

Today we looked at the rules for a good rest. And to fall asleep quickly, I advise you to use a special program - music for sleep was created by neuroacoustic scientists and is very good for health.