Several research attempts have proven that sleep deprivation can cause health problems, both physical and mental. The worse problem here is that you cannot precisely predict what happens as a result of not getting enough sleep regularly.
However, one thing that people don’t really take as a consequence of sleep deprivation is the destruction of someone’s career. Long story short, sleep deprivation can be a career killer at many a time. As we said, lots of people don’t even understand this point in their lives.
We can’t blame them, either. The impact of sleep deprivation on your career can be subtle at most times. It is also difficult to spot the symptoms in the first place. In this article, we have compiled seven reasons why science believes sleep deprivation is a career killer.
So, if you think you can relate to any of the following points, you have some changes to make.
#1 Plummeting Productivity
One of the most significant impacts of sleep deprivation on your mental state has to deal with your decreasing levels of productivity. Even though you may be working in a field of your interest and passion, you cannot perform in the best way without having the right productivity level. Research attempts and individual stories can always tell you how insufficient sleep can mess with someone’s overall productivity levels. At the same time,
people who ensure sleep well seem to witness some kind of stability in these levels.
#2 Poor Memory
Did you know that sleep deprivation can lead to memory loss and poor memory in general? That is, people who don’t get the recommended/necessary amount of sleep tend to forget things and might have difficulty in recalling information. When you work in an industry that wants you to use memory-based calculations as well as critical thinking, this consequence can alone wreck your career. As you grow older, the effects will persist, making things more robust.
#3 Negative Mood & Vibes
Even the expired
lifespan of a mattress can mess up with the sleep quality, you know. So, it should not be a surprise when we say that the lack of good sleep can give you a negative mood in general. As a result, you’d have issues in areas of professional communication or day-to-day dealings that you have to carry out. When this becomes intense, which it will in some time, you may end up disrupting your entire workflow at the office and elsewhere.
#4 Lack of Focus
Focusing on something, be it work or something personal, can be the toughest thing when you do not get a recommended amount of sleep. This point is, of course, connected to how we measure productivity. But even when it comes to overall focus, you may fail. We are talking about general situations like talking to people and comprehending ideas. The consequences of this can be quite weird when you are in an industry like data science.
#5 Depleting Health
We are sure you already understand the
potential damage a sleepless night can do to the next day. If you do this one in a month or twice a year, it won’t be much of a problem. However, if you continuously start to get less sleep than you are expected to, you will face issues. Commonly issues include fatigue and body ache since your body system will not be able to process the lack of rest. Before you know it, you will be missing most deadlines and duties at the office.
#6 Poor Mental Health
Deteriorating mental health could easily be one of the major issues that sleep deprivation could do to you. Even if you are not working, poor mental health can take a toll on you, in forms such as depression as well as anxiety. If you are doing a stressful job, however, the issues become uncontrollable. You will also have to seek professional help, which may not be the best thing for your career, if the environment, as we said, is stressful in the first place.
#7 Poor People Skills
Scientists have proven that sleep plays a vital role in molding your overall behavior and how you talk to the people around you. If you
work from home, alone at a desk, sleep deprivation may not harm you that much here. However, if you work in a team environment and have to delegate your colleagues or peers, that is a different story. And, we all know where poor people skills are going to get you through your career — no matter where you are.
The Bottom Line
If all these consequences tell you one common thing, it’s this: you should never deprive yourself of sleep. If you are already in such a situation, you should try your best to make up the environment. For instance, you can start by creating the best environment for you to sleep in the first place. Then, if further help is required, you can seek an expert opinion as well.
