I was recently sharing about the value of sleep in relation to sharper cognition and how fatigue costs us big time in performance, mistakes and profit with a group of CEOs. The group was discussing the challenge of actually getting enough sleep and the possibility of taking a brief power nap as a cognitive booster.
One of the group clearly didn’t agree with the concept, stating how it was preposterous to suggest she or her staff could be seen to be lying down sleeping during the day and neither did she agree that fatigue was a problem in her organisation.
Maybe it’s not for her and her team, but the research shows how human error as a result of fatigue has been associated with some fairly major disasters such as the Challenger Space Craft, or the Exxon Valdex oil spill.
Unfortunately it is still a common perception that sleep is not a necessity and we can get by with less. This goes against the fundamental understanding that we are merely human and the human brain requires us to have sufficient sleep in order to function well.
Adair Jones is a fabulous science writer and produces many articles for Brain Waves for Leaders Here is her excellent article on the neuroscience of sleep and how great leaders understand its value. Enjoy.
