The Sleep Habits of Successful People

Have you ever wondered about the sleep secrets of wildly successful people? Wonder no more, we’ve got some tips you can start using today. A few simple changes to your sleep routine could help you be more productive, think better and make better decisions.

Sleeping like a champion is nothing to take lightly. A good night’s sleep is key to overall health. If you don’t put in an adequate amount of sheep counting, you could pay for it in the form of heart disease, diabetes, increased cancer risk and even early death. You can’t be productive if you’re dead, so you better get some shut-eye. Here are some sleep habits of highly successful people.

1. They Get Enough Sleep

Most successful people get close to the recommended minimum of seven hours of sleep each night. An analysis by Home Arena of the sleep habits of highly successful people found that 32% got five to six hours of sleep a night. Roughly 27% clocked in six to seven hours of sleep each night.

Getting an adequate amount of sleep is good not only for your body but also your work performance. One of the keys to productivity is having a clear, sharp mind. This is made possible through rest.

2. They Get Uninterrupted Sleep

Getting enough sleep won’t matter much if you keep waking up. If you hope to wake up rested and ready for the day, you’ll want to hang out the “do not disturb” sign. A study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine discovered that short, uninterrupted sleep is more beneficial for you than longer sleep that is met with several interruptions throughout the night. Those who had interrupted sleep were found to be in a worse mood than those who had solid sleep. In addition, study participants who were unable to get a good night’s sleep were at a higher risk for depression. Here’s what lead researcher Patrick Finan had to say:

To our knowledge, this is the first human experimental study to demonstrate that, despite comparable reductions in total sleep time, partial sleep loss from sleep continuity disruption is more detrimental to positive mood than partial sleep loss from delaying bedtime, even when controlling for concomitant increases in negative mood. With these findings, we provide temporal evidence in support of a putative biologic mechanism (slow wave sleep deficit) that could help explain the strong comorbidity between insomnia and depression.

A bad mood could hurt your career success. Not only will a sour attitude hamper your chances of getting a job but it could also affect your overall job satisfaction. So get some sleep so that you can shine at work and snag the best job opportunities.

3. They Get to Bed at a (Relatively) Decent Time

If you’re getting to bed late, you may want to change your ways. Getting to bed earlier can be good for your mental health. You’re better equipped to regulate your emotions if you’re rested. So if you want to prevent angry outbursts at work, you might want to change your bedtime. Another study found that those who go to bed late experience frequent negative thoughts. So go to bed earlier and be happier. Your co-workers will thank you for it.

[Editor’s note: Being on top of your finances can also improve your mood and even help you sleep better at night. If worries about money and paying bills keep you awake, you can start taking control by knowing what’s really in your credit report. You can monitor your financial goals like building good credit for free on Credit.com.]

This article originally appeared on The Cheat Sheet.

The Sleep Habits of Successful People

1. They Get Enough Sleep

2. They Get Uninterrupted Sleep

3. They Get to Bed at a (Relatively) Decent Time

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