I’ve frequently stressed the importance of good health to your career as a productive freelance writer.
Sleep is especially crucial, not only to your ability to concentrate on your writing projects, but also so you have enough energy to get them done on time. I wrote an extensive post about how lack of adequate sleep hurts you and 11 ways you can get more and better sleep here: “Are Your Sleep Habits Hurting Your Writing Career?”
But today I’m sharing an excellent infographic that lays out the brutal consequences of sleep deprivation for your health, including increased risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes — and death.
It also describes how sleep deprivation decreases your focus and ability to remember, and actually leads to the loss of brain tissue.
(You can click the infographic for a larger version that’s easier to read.)
My earlier post lays out 11 ways to get more and better sleep. For me, the most important ones are:
- Keeping a regular schedule of when I go to bed and when I wake up
- Keeping my room dark and quiet (Actually, I frequently use a small fan for white noise so that I don’t hear cars honking or blue jays squawking.)
- No food for at least two hours before bed
- 20-minute power nap in the early afternoon, as needed
- Lots of exercise every day
Your Take
Do you get enough sleep? Does the information in the graphic give you enough motivation to do something about it? Any tips to add?
Most of the time I do, John. But my sleep is not nearly as good as it used to be. I used to be the world’s best sleeper. 😉 I often wake up at least once, but most of the time I can fall back asleep fairly quickly.
I wish there was a little switch to turn off at night that pops back on in the morning. 🙂
Cathy, I also sleep fairly well at night. My one problem is sometimes waking up too early, after only 6 to 6.5 hours of sleep. I usually just get my day started and then take a 20-minute nap right after lunch.
Not so long ago my doc asked me how my sleep is… not great I said. Then I added… “I figure my body knows more about my need for sleep than I do so I don’t worry about it much.” She seemed to really appreciate my attitude… night before last I didn’t sleep well… go figure… so I napped. Last night I slept well… go figure… so I probably won’t nap today… I find adding worry to the mix doesn’t help.
Anne, I’d look at how well you feel physically and mentally. If you’re not tired and you feel alert, you’re likely getting enough sleep.
Research shows that just about everyone needs between 6 and 9 hours of sleep. If you’re averaging less than 6 hours, I’d see what you can do to increase your sleep time.
John, for years 7 hours has been my average sleep time at night… sometimes it gets broken up, but mostly it’s right there over and over again.
And mostly I’m alert and feel good… except when I don’t. I drive people who worry about their sleep crazy I know.
I think 7 hours is fine. I average about 7 to 7.5 hours a night.
A long time ago I realized I function best with 7.5 hours per night. With less sleep I tend to get a headache, with more sleep I feel slightly groggy.
I’ve never been a napper – not even as a young child (I vividly remember hating “nap time” and just lying there waiting to rejoin the grown ups). I also have trouble falling to sleep before midnight – I guess that means I’ll never be an up-at-the-crack-of-dawn type or a sleep-until-noon type.
Paula, you’ve figured out what works well for you. Lots of people stay up until midnight or later. As long as you get enough sleep and you have a fairly regular bedtime, you’ll be in good shape.
I have a dual nature…I’m essentially nocturnal but I have to and like to teach T’ai-Chi in the mornings…So I sleep twice a day, each time for 3-5 hours, adding up to more or less 6-8 hours per 24 hours. And I sleep during the hours that are least interesting and productive for me: late afternoons and very early mornings. It’s not ideal but it is the best compromise I’ve come up with yet.
Gene, you have the classic problem of night owls: how to cope with a world that’s day focused. It sounds like you’ve found the best solution for you.
John, you could have been writing this for my husband. He’s not slept well in at least a decade. It’s true that as we age, sleep patterns change, but I suspect a lot of his is work stress.
I sleep pretty well. I exercise almost every day (weekends are more walking or work around the house than the workout regimen). I don’t snack after 8 pm. I avoid caffeine after 10 am (some of us really can’t take it past noon).
Great points all around, John. I don’t do the power nap, but I LOVE the idea!
Stress can really interfere with sleep. I overall deal fairly well with stress, but when it’s high, I find that I tend to wake up too early.
Great post John!
If I don’t sleep at least 8-9 hours per day, I feel tired and moody. Usually I go to bed at 12:00 at night and wake up at around 9:00 in the morning. But I usually have a 1 hour nap in the afternoon as well. I know for some people it may sound like many hours but this is the amount of sleep I usually need.
That being said, I haven’t slept well for the last 3 months due to neighbor problems…Sometimes I wish I would live in a hut on a mountain or something like that…
Thanks for the great information!
I quit my daytime job a few months ago to work full time as a freelance writer. While the idea seemed perfect at the start, what I never banked on was the prospect of losing sleep trying to jungle between writing content for my blogs and for my clients.
The lack of sleep was beginning to take a toll on my overall creativity and I am glad that I came across this post from a fellow writer.
I will definitely try to get some more shuteye.
After having my daughter and during pregnancy I often found and still find it difficult to fall asleep at night, this blog has a lot of useful tips.
I know that not sleeping properly has very bad effects on both mind and your body and can hamper your productivity very badly.
That’s why I make sure that I am able to get at least 8 hours of sleep daily. No matter where I am or what I am doing, I get 8 hours of sleep! It makes me feel fresh whenever I wake up and also allows me to do better work!
I spent many years with severe insomnia and no matter what I did, I kept waking up in the middle of the night unable to go back to sleep. Many nights I had only 2-4 hours of sleep. After a while, everything starts shutting down and you’re just in survival mode.
I found it completely impossible to accomplish much of anything writing-related during that time.
This summer, after seeing many different doctors over the years, I met with a nutritionist who put me on a mostly gluten-free, sugar-free, preservative-free, vegetarian-ish diet. Within a few weeks I was sleeping 6-8 hours a night and I rarely have a night now where I sleep less than 6 hours. Plus, I find it easier to go back to sleep if I do wake up.
I share this in hopes that it might help someone else who has a sleeping disorder. Sleeping habits were not the issue with me because I could curb those. Insomnia is something entirely different, a beast that won’t be tamed.
Bonita, I’m so glad you found a good solution to your sleeping problems. Proper diet is important to so many aspects of our health, including good sleep.
Definitely! Sleep is such an important factor for overall mental well-being. I used to suffer from bouts of lethargy and apathy that were nearly as bad as chronic depression. When I started sleeping well, they went away.
The other important thing for writers: discovering your “sweet spot” time window when you’re most creative and able to write. When I had a day job, I would write before and after work and it was usually a slog. Sometimes I would sit down knowing that I only had an hour or two, yet I would feel completely blank and drained. Now, I can start around noon and write for six hours straight. That’s my time, and my efficiency during those hours is insane.
Thank you John!
I’m a Den member and one of your headline suggestions caused me to click over to your site and I found this blog post-I also just purchased your, “50 Ways to Beat Writer’s Block and Procrastination” from Amazon. This is exactly what’s been happening to me. I’ve been surviving most nights off of 4 to 5 hours of sleep and then going nonstop for the other 19-20 hours of the day. As a result, I can’t think, writing ideas are slim to none, and I’m suddenly frustrated with my freelancing career before it’s even started. This is really what I needed to read today!
Adeline, I’m so glad this post has helped. And thanks for buying “50 Ways to Beat Writer’s Block and Procrastination.”
Here’s to both more sleep and more writing!
John, I recently completed your course. Thank you for providing a concise, painless method to help me focus my freelance efforts! It was eye-opening.
Being a new mom is quite tough. I really can’t help but lose some sleep if I want to watch my baby closely. But thanks to this article, it helped me understand better that I mustn’t take my health – sleep – for granted. The infographic is most especially helpful for easier comprehension of the topic. Your tips for a better sleeping experience is also helpful. Kudos!
Great tips John, thanks. I know how it really effects my productivity if I don’t get my 8 hours and power naps really help too. I find I just can’t think straight beyond 3pm if I’ve not had the sleep I need.