Why a good night’s sleep is crucial to work well

For business leaders across the region, it is the golden question: how can you improve your team’s wellness so they can enjoy a greater quality of life, and, as a result, help their business performance?

There are numerous ways to do this. On their own they will help your team improve their health and wellness, but together they can have a major impact.

Get to sleep on time

Did you know that each hour of sleep before midnight is worth two after 12am? It is something worth remembering when looking for massive productivity gains without having to put in much effort.

The hormonal output that happens when you sleep before 12am is extremely beneficial. It includes extra testosterone, DHEA and growth hormones that are extremely restorative and balancing.

We are hardwired to go to sleep around 10pm. This is because of the fact that we have only had electricity, advanced shelter and a proliferation of ‘creature comforts’ for a relatively short amount of time. For thousands of years, when night drew in it was a sign that we should get ready to sleep; there were fewer reasons or excuses to stay awake for much of the night.

This is significant because it governs when we should go to sleep for optimum performance.

Get some sun

I am sure you have heard that it is important to get some sun but you may not have been given the reason as to why.

The hormones that the sun helps produce – progesterone and pregnenelone – are among the most balancing for your body, helping to counter stress.

These hormones are at the top of the list when it comes to protecting the body and are used to manufacture a lot of the other healthy, protective hormones. So spending some time in the sun should not be discounted if you want to be healthy and productive.

I have heard people advocate taking vitamin D supplements in place of going out in the sun. But if you think that this will be enough, think again. It is the progesterone and pregnenelone that you need in order to be super-healthy and to manufacture all of the other protective, restorative hormones. For example, they will help your thyroid to run fast enough and prevent degenerative diseases. The supplements will not be able to do this in the same way sunlight does.

Get your thyroid in shape

Doctors often misdiagnose hypothyroid because it is often subclinical or not severe enough for them to worry about it. What is more, the tests they do are often not comprehensive enough.

The thyroid is like the master gland in the body that stops a long list of ailments and diseases from happening. The list includes but is not limited to: diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, arthritis, dementia, balance problems, weight loss problems, memory problems, inflammation, chronic fatigue, metabolic disorder, anxiety and depression.

There are several things you can do to help maintain a healthy thyroid – most of them incredibly easy and food-based.

My advice is to have two orange juices, one tablespoon of coconut oil, one grated carrot salad and at least 100 grams of protein a day. You should also only cook with coconut oil.

As mentioned earlier, make sure you get enough sunlight or at least enough vitamin K, vitamin D and calcium. You should also ensure you get enough sea salt for its healthy sodium, magnesium and potassium.

These are the basics you need in order to have a healthy functioning thyroid, which will help keep your wellness in check and give you a firm foundation to perform well at work.

Together with good sleep, you and your team should see a massive difference in each person’s productivity.

Tim Garrett is the founder of Corporate Wellness Co. www.corporatewellnessdubai.com