The Joy of A Good Night’s Rest: The Most Important Element for Health and Clear Thinking

This last summer in Taiwan was brutal. It was record breaking heat outside. And while I had air conditioning. My sleep was greatly disturbed by jet lag coming back from a business trip from Europe that was exacerbated by massive family and business issues. The consequence was not enough sleep and whatever sleep I had was plain substandard sleep. I’m normally very good with dealing with jet lag as I have a pretty good routine and have ways of coping and adjusting within a few days, week max. But this time it dragged on for over 3 weeks, even with the aid of melatonin. 

And I can honestly say it showed in all aspects of my life: my home/family life and my business life. The foggy brain, the short temper and the inability to focus and concentrate or to properly deal with the setbacks that normally happen. It was pretty much a hard slog every single day. 

I was able to grind through it with a dose of intense HiiT (High Intensity Training) routine, lots of meditation and cold showers  and ice cold coffee. But these are coping mechanisms. 

So why does sleep matter? According to the UK Mental Health Foundation: 

“Sleep is an essential and involuntary process, without which we cannot function effectively. It is as essential to our bodies as eating, drinking and breathing, and is vital for maintaining good mental and physical health. Sleeping helps to repair and restore our brains, not just our bodies.

During sleep we can process information, consolidate memories, and undergo a number of maintenance processes that help us to function during the daytime.”

I normally don’t have issues with sleep. I love it. I can usually sleep anywhere, on airport benches, in flight, on trains and in the car. I think this is one of the reasons my health overall is so good because I usually sleep well.  

We’ve all had the experience of having crazy and dark thoughts very late at night. But having a good sleep and waking up the next morning, will make you  feel great and ready to tackle the issues troubling you. 

So my point is that if you are in a bad mental state, perhaps one of the best tools in your kit is to just try getting a good night’s rest. You still obviously have to exercise and do the hard work, whatever it is when you are awake, but getting some quality sleep could be the first important step to turning things around and making your life better.