Sleep Your Way To The Top

Getting More Sleep Will Lead To Better Job Performance, Which Is Essential During A Recession

(CBS)  We've all heard the phrase "sleep your way to the top." But now we've got a new take on that -- the right way to do it, that is.

CBS MoneyWatch.com's Jill Schlesinger, explains the link between catching your ZZZ's and your career.

Smirking aside, Schlesinger has a new take on sleeping your way to the top, which involves literally -- sleeping to succeed.

According to Schlesinger, during a recession is a terrible time to not get enough sleep and worrying at night about your job, could ultimately affect your job performance.

"You're worried and anxious about your job. Maybe you're working even harder. And now you're also worried about your portfolio losses," she said. "What happens? You can't sleep at night. And this is self-perpetuating, because the lack of sleep can cause some really significant damage to you on the job."

Rodriguez pointed out that if you get six or less hours of sleep, the study shows, it's equivalent to being drunk.

"Well, you know, it's a funny thing. When you think 'Wow, I'm drunk, I can't do stuff,' that's cognitive impairment, same thing with sleep deprivation. So what does that really mean?" she asked.

"You can't do things that you normally can do. Your ability to do tasks is impaired. Your memory is reduced. You can't even just do simple things, maybe that you were doing previously on a good night's sleep," Schlesinger said.

Sleep deprivation can also contribute to poor health.

"It also will contribute to you getting sicker. That's the scary thing. You're three times as likely to get sick," she said. "So you're going to take more sick days. Could lead to even more accidents. A lot of driving accidents for commuters. So, sleeplessness on the job can really harm you."

All of these things are detrimental to you and your job especially in this tough economic climate.

Schlesinger also stresses that when you don't get a lot of sleep, some people get a little moody.

"You get this unpleasant mood. And if you have a sour mood at work, in the middle of a recession, 5 million jobs lost, if your boss says, 'Wow, she never smiles, she always seems unhappy at work, she seems so grouchy,' don't you think you'd be first on the list to go?" Schlesing said. "So again, this can have a tremendous impact on your work life -- very important here."

Although getting more sleep is easier said than done, there are some ways to try to make it work.

Schlesinger suggests getting your room very dark and having sleep shades, but more importantly, she stresses getting into a routine and going to bed the same time every night.

"Set that schedule, stick to it. And don't do work or chores one hour before bed. And the funniest thing in some of these studies says limit over-stimulation," she said. "Don't watch a scary movie unless it's on CBS. Or something that's disturbing to you. Don't read a horror novel. Those kinds of things can have an impact.

"Again, it's a terrible time in the economy. We want you at peak performance. And oddly enough this is something that's in your control, and at Moneywatch we're all about how to get new control of your financial life. So, Moneywatch.com, that's where you're going to find it."