Rest and Sleep
Continuing with the theme of brain care, we also examine the importance of good quality rest and sleep. In order for the brain to perform as well as it can it is important that it be properly rested. Yet it is estimated that only one fifth of people sleep well consistently throughout their lives. The remainder will struggle at some point.
Failure to obtain proper sleep can have a detrimental effect on cognitive performance, inhibiting the ability to focus, reducing clarity of thought, impairing memory, adversely affecting both motivation and mood. Despite this, certain professions still make a virtue out of going without rest and minimising the time spent asleep. It is estimated that thirty to fifty per cent of accidents at work are associated with being overtired. By obtaining good quality sleep you will be fully energised throughout the day and raise your levels of cognitive performance. Memory is improved. Attention is improved. Mood is enhanced. If you are properly rested you are likely to be twenty per cent more productive at work than if you are not. In the longer term, people who sleep well live longer, healthier and happier lives. Rest is not only about sleep, of course. It is also important to obtain sufficient mental and physical rest throughout the day. If we take regular exercise, the intervals of rest between sessions are just as necessary to improving performance as the time spent exercising. So recognising when to rest and knowing how best to relax is also vitally important when it comes to promoting cognitive performance. Our courses cover various elements relating to sleep and rest including how to determine the amount of sleep you need and the best times for you to sleep; methods for getting to sleep easily and dealing with distracting thoughts; strategies for coping with working unsociable hours; ways of anticipating time zone changes and dealing with jet lag; getting more out of the time you spend asleep such as sleep learning and lucid dreaming; learning how to rest effectively during the day. |
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