Last Updated on Apr 8, 2020 by James W
So you want to be richer do you? Well here’s a tip you won’t hear too often – stay in bed.
Yep, that’s right you heard me correctly. I know it may seem a little counterintuitive but if you want to get rich, spend more time in bed asleep.
That’s probably not something they teach at business school. But it should be!
Getting richer is a simple equation, you have to earn more and spend less. Sleep can help you on both counts.
Below are just 3 of the top reasons why getting more sleep will help to fill your wallet…
Sleep will help you get that promotion
Promotions equal more money. More money makes you richer.
Great, but how to get that promotion?
Well, there are two ways to sleep your way to success – aside from sleeping your way to success, if you know what I mean – one is to be more productive and the other is to network like a legend. Sleep will help you with both.
Well-rested individuals are more productive for a number of reasons, all of which have been proven by science; they are less easily distracted, they have better memories and they are less prone to making mistakes.
While networking is all about interpersonal relationships – and it’s hard to connect with colleagues or embrace the opportunities to do so if you’re tired, grumpy or falling asleep one drink into the work night out.
Sleep deprivation leads to a lack of emotional intelligence, impaired willpower and a noticeable reduction in our ability to properly read facial cues, which hinders our ability to show empathy and understanding towards others.
In plain English, a lack of sleep makes you less likeable to be around. Which certainly isn’t going to help your promotion prospects.
For hints and tips on how to get the required shuteye, check out expert advice at the Sleep Advisor blog.
Sleep helps you make better decisions
Why did I get that second credit card? Why did I say no to that job? Why do we make half of the impulsive and financially poor decisions we make?
Well, the answer could be a lack of sleep.
Sleep-deprived individuals suffer from poor cognitive performance meaning they struggle making complex (or even easy) decisions well.
And this is true across the board, whether the decision is a small one such as buying an ice-cream or big one, such as taking out a particular mortgage. We are far more likely to make a better choice when we are well-rested.
‘Sleep loss affects how you think…It impairs your cognition, your attention, and your decision-making’, confirms Jodi A. Mindell, PhD, a professor of psychology at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and author of Sleep Deprived No More.
I’m sure you’ve heard the old expression ‘let’s sleep on it’. The delaying of a decision you have had time to think it over and return with fresh eyes in the morning…well, it seems there is wisdom to the old adage. Listen to it and it could make you richer.
Sleep will save you money on healthcare
Good quality sleep not only helps you make better decisions it also plays a huge role in keeping you healthy. A healthy you will be better able to earn money and will save a fortune on healthcare bills. Double win!
Chronic sleep deprivation has been shown to play a role in a range of conditions; anything from heart disease to heart attacks, diabetes, obesity and stress.
Such is the impact of poor sleep on health that recently researchers reported someone who gets less than six hours down-time a night has a 10% higher mortality risk than someone sleeping seven to nine hours a night. Scary!
And while dying would certainly hinder your dreams of making rich, so to does losing a week’s work every couple of months to the flu.
Fortunately sleep can help here, too. Quality sleep boosts the body’s immune system and helps prevent it from falling foul to irritating ailments like the flu in the first place.
And when we do succumb to the inevitable, quality sleep will help us recover quicker than our exhausted colleagues, giving us the advantage.
So, whether it’s preventing short term ailments or long term conditions sleep is vitally important. And as we all know how much healthcare bills can cost, sleep really could be the difference between living the good life and barely scraping a living.
So there you have it – now you know the secret to financial success could be something as simple as sleep. Get more of it and your will soon be dancing your way to the bank.
image source: unsplash
