Better Sleep = Better Investments? This information will change how you value your sleep-wake cycle NOW!

Wednesday: The Independent Investor FROM THE DESK OF MILES EVERSON: Getting a good night’s sleep has a lot of health benefits. Part of these are better mood, increased productivity, stronger immune system, improved memory retention, and reduced stress. But did you know that aside from these health benefits, getting enough sleep also has positive impacts on your investment strategy? According to a study conducted at Duke University in 2011, lack of sleep affects how a person manages his or her money. That’s why it’s important to have around 6 to 8 hours of sleep every night so you can make wise financial and investment decisions. Read the article below to know what other impacts sleep has on your investments and a few DOs and DON’Ts to sleep better at night. CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

Better Sleep = Better Investments? This information will change how you value your sleep-wake cycle NOW! Rest, particularly sleep, plays an important role in our bodies’ cognitive functions such as processing and retaining memories and new information. In fact, several studies from Rutgers University in New Jersey, Duke University in North Carolina, and the National Sleep Foundation in Washington DC show that sleep affects people’s ability to make decisions in general. Better sleep = Healthier mind and body, wiser decisions, increased productivity, better mood, etc. Lack of sleep = Relatively low attention to details, poor memory and performance, significant mood swings, etc. There are other consequences related to sleep deprivation. Some of these occur in your business and investment strategies such as… Poor financial decisions and inability to spend and save your money properly! Better Sleep, Better Investment Many people know the effects of getting enough sleep in their health and well-being but only a few are aware of its effects on their financial life and investment choices. Even Warren Buffett, one of the greatest investors in the world, acknowledges this fact: “When forced to choose, I will not trade even a night’s sleep for the chance of extra profits.” American author and investor Peter Bevelin does too! “Lack of sleep… causes stress. The more stress we experience, the more we tend to make decisions that are short term.” In 2009, psychologists Anthony J. Porcelli and Mauricio R. Delgado conducted a study that revealed one of the negative effects of sleep deprivation is lack of good financial judgment. They found out that lack of sleep, similar to heightened stress, impacts how a person manages his or her money. Porcelli and Delgado’s study also showed that the negative effects of sleep deprivation could be seen in MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans―there’s an increased activity in the portion of the brain that anticipates positive outcomes. This means lack of sleep could interfere with your ability to determine what is right and wrong. What else? The MRI scans showed that not having enough sleep decreases activity in the part of the brain that anticipates negative outcomes. This implies that those suffering from sleep deprivation might believe that a risky situation or decision isn’t risky or fail to process how bad they are performing. These could lead to HUGE financial losses… See what happens when you don’t get enough sleep? You better assess your sleeping habits now and see if there’s anything you need to change! Improving Your Sleep Quality to Improve Your Financial Life Now that you know that a good sleep is important not only for your body but also for your business and finances, the next thing you should know is how to improve your sleep quality. Here are a few tips: Set a concrete schedule. Having an organized sleep schedule is important. If you already have a healthy circadian rhythm (a natural process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle), then great! If you haven’t yet, here are 4 ways to do so: Have a fixed wake-up time. Whether it’s a weekday or a weekend, discipline yourself to wake up at a fixed time. For example: If you wake up at 6 a.m. during weekdays, you must also wake up at 6 a.m. during weekends. This will help you get into a rhythm of consistency faster. Prioritize sleep when it’s the right time to do so. While it can be tempting to skip sleep in order to work, study, socialize, or exercise, you must make it a habit to sleep at the right time. Calculate a target bedtime based on your fixed wake up time and do your best to accomplish all your tasks within the day. When bedtime comes, you’ll be ready to sleep. Make gradual changes. If you want to change your sleep schedule, avoid doing it in one swift move because that can throw your schedule into disarray. Instead, make small, step-by-step adjustments so it will be easier for your system to welcome those changes. Avoid overdoing your afternoon naps. Naps help you regain energy during the day, but they can make you stay awake at night longer. To prevent this, keep your naps relatively short and limited to the early afternoon. Try these tips if you’re aiming to fix your sleep schedule! You’ll see, having a daily and nightly routine will do wonders in improving your sleep quality. Dedicate around 30 minutes of your time to wind down before sleeping. Take advantage of whatever puts you in a calm state such as soft music, light stretching, reading, and other relaxation activities. These will influence your mind and body to get ready for rest. Another thing: In that 30-minute pre-bed allowance time, stay away from bright lights and free your hands of your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. This is because bright lights and blue lights decrease melatonin, a hormone that helps facilitate sleep. Establish healthy daily habits. Having a good sleep is not only about what we do during bedtime but also about what we do during daytime: Make sure you get a good amount of sunlight regularly as this helps your body develop a healthy circadian rhythm. Exercise regularly. This doesn’t only make you healthy but also improves your sleep quality. Avoid smoking cigarettes. Nicotine stimulates the body in ways that disrupt sleep. This explains why smoking is associated with several sleeping problems. Whatever your career is―business owner, marketer, investor, financial advisor, consultant, etc.―make sure you develop healthy habits. These will improve your sleep quality, which is also a factor that helps you make wise business and financial decisions. Avoid eating dinner and consuming caffeine late at night. According to an article from web-based outlet MedicalNewsToday, it takes 7 hours for caffeine to get completely washed out in your body. So, if you want to sleep faster once you lay down, make sure you don’t consume caffeine in less than 7 hours―especially if you’re not used to it. Similarly, avoid eating heavy meals late at night as this will wake your digestive system when it’s time for bed. Any food or snacks before bed should be on the lighter side. Optimize your bedroom. A healthy connection between sleep and bed is important and should be maintained. So, make sure your sleeping surface is comfortable and pain-free. Choose your mattress and pillows wisely! Your bed sheets and blankets aren’t less important than your mattress and pillows. Since they are the first thing you touch when you get onto the bed, you have to ensure you have excellent bedding. Use curtains or an eye mask to avoid light from interrupting your sleep. For stopping the noise, try using an ear plug. If you don’t find ear plugs comfortable, you might want to invest in a high quality white noise machine. Lastly, activate calming scents in your room during bedtime. This will help induce a clear state of mind and a positive space for sleep. In a fast-paced society, it’s not always easy to reduce your stress levels and ensure you acquire sufficient sleep every night. However, even under difficult and busy circumstances, applying the tips above will do wonders for your sleep quality, boost your performance, and help you make the right decisions. Fight for your sleep schedule no matter how busy you are! After all, when you get a good amount of sleep, you’ll be more productive in fulfilling your responsibilities and you’ll be healthier. … and when you’re healthier and more productive, you’ll be less stressed out and you’ll attain peace of mind… … and when you have peace of mind, you’ll make better decisions in life, including how and where you spend your money. Then, the cycle repeats! So, the bottom line is… Make it a habit to get a good amount of sleep! Hope you’ve found this week’s insights interesting and helpful. Follow us on LinkedIn.     Stay tuned for next Wednesday’s The Independent Investor! Income + Less Spending = Saved Money Learn more about the second step to financial freedom in next week’s article!