In a 2013 TED talk, circadian neuroscientist Russell Foster shared with the audience the findings behind his years of research on sleep – debunking many of the myths or popular beliefs we have about sleep. According to Foster, we can only be in our most productive state if we get enough hours of sleep at night. By failing to do so, we end up unable to solve even the simplest problems or to perform the simplest tasks during the next day. A lack of sleep also affects our ability to think creatively, which can greatly reduce the efficiency through which we do some of our jobs (e.g. writing).
In December, we published an infographic that looked at all the effects that a lack of sleep can have on the brain. Among them are tendencies towards mood swings, the creation of false memories, and even slurred speech. Simply, if we don’t get enough sleep, our brains become useless. So, go ahead and get an extra hour of sleep; you need it. And let’s hope you’re not reading this while you’re in bed – because that’s en entirely other issue.
