The Sad State of Sleep

We all love sleep, but almost no one gets enough of it. The average person only sleeps 6.8 hours a night, despite a recommended seven to nine hours for adults. Unfortunately, this tragic trend isn’t improving over time. A recent study found that a whopping one-third of those surveyed admit to sleeping less than six hours per night – an increase of 15% over the last 15 years.

While it’s possible to perform adequately on six or fewer hours of sleep for some people, doing so on a long-term basis isn’t sustainable. And while claiming you can sleep when you’re dead may sound like a cool claim, everything from mental clarity to job performance suffers when you’re short on sleep.

No matter what you want to accomplish in the new year, you’re going to be facing an uphill battle when sleep isn’t your top priority. Here’s why a better night’s sleep should be at the top of your to-do list.