The recent incident that occurred with Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Media Group, brought about an epiphany and in turn, led her to share with the general public the importance of a good night’s sleep. Sleep physicians and scientist alike have espousing the virtues of a good night’s sleep for years. Despite their sound advice, we chose to ignore them. Why? Maybe in our quest to claim bragging rights for only sleeping 2-3 hours a night, we are hoping, it will lead to unparallel success? Some have blamed it on our always on society, where going to bed with our mobile devices has recently become a rite of passage.

Harvard’s study on “Why Sleep Matters” provides this sobering analysis:

“The price of insufficient sleep may be poor health. Study after study has revealed that people who sleep poorly are at greater risk for a number of diseases and health problems. And now the search is on to discover why this might be. 

Lack of sleep exacts a toll on perception and judgment. In the workplace, its effects can be seen in reduced efficiency and productivity, errors, and accidents. Sometimes the effects can even be deadly, as in the case of drowsy driving fatalities.”

So, if you are missing sleep and going through many red bulls or cups of java to keep you awake, it’s likely your productivity is dipping. In short, increase the amount of hours you spend sleeping and chances are, you will get that report done on time and won’t fall asleep at your desk.