“Women will literally sleep their way to the top,” states Arianna Huffington in a TED conference talk.

 

If Arianna Huffington, co-founder and chief editor of The Huffington Posts says so, then by all means, let’s sleep to succeed. Here is the rest of her talk, she is really funny and inspiring.

We all know the importance of getting a good night’s sleep. Nobody wants to go to work or school feeling groggy, cannot process even the simplest of instructions, and moving into a lifeless zombie action isn’t exactly what we envisioned for any of our day-to-day activities.

Knowing the value of sleep, there are still a lot of people who don’t really mind if they get less than eight hours of sleep. I’m pretty sure you know people who are happily moving from one task to another with only five hours of sleep. And how about the flight attendants and pilots, cruise ship staff, hotel night staff – how can they sleep well at night when they’re required to be up most nights?

Studies are now showing that sleep quality is much more important than sleep quantity. Sure, you’ve slept for ten hours. But what’s the use of your ten-hour sleep if you wake up every two hours from your neighbor’s noise or lighting that goes on and off?

The Basics of Sleep

We all want quality sleep. Let’s admit that drinking way too much coffee is not healthy at all and it won’t get you through the day. What we don’t know is that we can easily achieve it without the need to enroll in classes or purchase items. Here are the top tips on how to appropriately sleep:

1. The NO CAFFEINE rule. Did you know that after 2 in the afternoon, you should stop drinking caffeinated drinks? I bet some of you are still sipping on your lattes even after 6 pm.
2. Take it slow two hours before sleep. It would be ideal if you could start lying down, listening to your iPod, or reading a book, two hours before your actual sleeping time. But, of course, you should have a sleeping time first.
3. No bright lights in the bedroom. If you still work on your iPad or laptop even before sleeping, I suggest you download an app like f.lux that can change the lighting of your screen, fit to be a just-before-bedtime activity. Nothing too bright to make your body think it’s still morning time.
4. Pitch black is good. At night, of course. Try to make your sleeping room as dark as possible.
5. Avoid big meals before sleep. If you like all those lavish dinners, where you tell yourself it’s okay to eat a lot, think again.

Why sleep?

This video will enlighten you on the importance of sleep. Perhaps you will be following the tips mentioned above once you know why we need sleep and what will happen to our bodies if we become night owls.

Here’s to hoping you will get a good night’s sleep tonight!