Sleep! The work will be there tomorrow

By Torsten Dettlaff from Pexels via Canva.com

What I wished I'd known when I started my career - #1

I was proud of being sleep deprived; I wore it like a badge of honor. I would send emails at midnight because that's when I was catching up. I thought it showed my dedication. In the competitive world of Silicon Valley, I didn't entirely dream that up. But it also showed I wasn't setting limits and managing my time. I wasn't being the boss of me.

Sleep is important. It contributes to our health and sanity. As I discovered after having my first child; there's a reason why sleep deprivation is a form of torture. And importantly to our careers, reputations are built on our judgement and knowledge; we need our brain cells healthy and firing to be our best.

Entire books and studies are written about why we need sleep, but here’s my favorite chart:

OK, it was originally made for a mattress company -- but you can find the same info on health sites just less pretty. Source

You know what I love and brag about now? A good nap.