By Amber Bradley | Editor-in-Chief | TalkLPnews
I’m a night owl.
I’d much rather stay up late reading or watching movies than turn in early. But the older I get I’m definitely appreciating that waking up earlier means I have more productive time in my day. Not saying I love it. Now, my main problem with waking up early is I must go to bed early and prioritize the amount of sleep my brain needs to function without ripping everyone’s head off (ask my husband).
After picking up a recent O magazine for a little light reading, I was again educated about how important sleep is for our brains – and in particular executive brains making decisions. Did you know the more sleep deprived you are, the less effective you are at detecting emotions via facial expressions? Yep.
Overly tired people are more emotional and even more inclined to be paranoid with your brain focused on who’s out to get you. Like pros in our industry need more of that.
Look, I get it. This industry never sleeps. Crisis calls at midnight, emergency meetings, constant pressure to stay ahead of fraud schemes. But here’s what’s wild: while we’re proving how hardcore we are by functioning on four hours of sleep, we’re actually making ourselves dumber.
This is Your Brain on No Sleep
The science is pretty clear. When you don’t get enough sleep, your brain builds up waste products that can eventually clump together to form the hallmark plaques of Alzheimer’s. Skipping sleep isn’t just making you cranky, it’s potentially setting you up for serious cognitive problems.
People who slept only six hours or less for two weeks scored as poorly on attention and memory tests as those who’d been up for two nights straight. So that brilliant strategy you came up with at 2 AM after your third Red Bull? Maybe not so brilliant.
The Real Cost of “Grinding”
Sleep deprivation costs the U.S. economy up to $411 billion in lost productivity each year. We’re literally paying a massive price for this idea that more hours automatically equals better results.
After six years of mild sleep deprivation, volunteers were three times likelier to have abnormal blood sugar levels. People who average fewer than six hours are four times likelier to catch a cold. You know what doesn’t help your team’s confidence? You being sick all the time because you can’t prioritize basic self-care.
You want an old brain?
The solution isn’t complicated. Seven to eight hours of sleep. That’s it. Not some elaborate wellness program. Just basic human maintenance.
Women who scored highest on cognitive tests got seven hours nightly. When that dropped to six or fewer, their brain effectively aged by four to seven years. You’re literally aging your brain faster by staying up to answer emails that could wait.
Reframing the Conversation
Instead of asking “How can I squeeze more hours out of my day?” maybe ask “How can I show up as the sharpest version of myself?” That person who got eight hours will solve problems faster, make better decisions, and have mental energy for the really challenging stuff.
Would you send your team into a high-stakes investigation running on four hours of sleep? Of course not. So why make critical business decisions in that same compromised state?
The executives who get this understand sleep isn’t about being lazy. It’s about being strategic with your most important resource. The complex fraud patterns, organizational politics, and strategic planning that actually moves the needle all require operating at full capacity.
Anyone can run themselves into the ground. It takes real discipline to prioritize the fundamentals that make you better at this job. Maybe take this weekend to reset and establish a new sleep pattern…everyone in your life (including your brain) will thank you.
You’re welcome.