Why Quality Sleep Helps With Burnout
Image via DALL-E
We are hearing more and more that we need 7-8 hours of sleep every night. However, for many, that sleep isn't quality sleep.
We hear the importance of sleep in our complete health. Our bodies heal while we sleep from the damage we do to our bodies (both intentional and unintentional) throughout our waking hours.
Lack of sleep significantly increases the chances of chronic diseases, fatigue, mistakes, emotional and physical challenges, and other health issues.
We each go through stages of sleep and sleep cycles, but we must get as much uninterrupted sleep as possible.
Too often, people do not get enough sleep or are not restful.
I slept 7-8 hours per night during my burnout, but it wasn’t quality sleep.
Why?
1. I wasn’t eating correctly. My diet consisted of ordering through a window, driving around a corner to pay, and being handed a brown bag.
2. My job was causing me increasing stress. Working for a start-up is not easy, nor are emotionally demanding jobs in healthcare if you are considering nursing or something similar as a career. This one was even more challenging due to the nature of the work and the lack of boundaries I had in the work I performed.
3. Trying to people, please. I was trying to be everything to everyone. Be a pillar in a small community. Make a difference in helping others. I had forgotten to help myself first.
Thus, my sleep was spent repairing all the damage I was doing to my body, both mentally and physically. Eventually, my body gave in and kicked off my year of worst-case scenarios.
Now I sleep pretty well. I have a pillow that works for me. The room temperature is conducive to my liking. I have a sleep mask in case it’s too bright outside through the window blinds. I don’t consume a lot of caffeine or alcohol, I eat better, and most importantly, I have boundaries about my work and home life.
4. My home had a heavy and dusty environment, which made me feel weak and demotivated -
Luckily, I used a robot vacuum cleaner to clean thick carpets.
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