Sleep to Lead Better
By Sophie Makonnen
We spend about one-third of our lives asleep—not because we’re lazy, but because that one-third sustains the other two-thirds.
A Misunderstood Function?
We often talked about distractions, poor time management, and lack of motivation—topics I’ve blogged about. Yet we rarely highlight sleep deprivation and exhaustion as major barriers to clarity, resilience, and sound decision-making especially in leadership.
Sleep tends to fall into the background of professional life. We acknowledge its importance in theory, but in practice, it’s one of the first things we sacrifice. Whether it’s staying up to catch up on emails, preparing for the next day, or simply finding time to decompress, sleep gets pushed aside in the name of being responsible, productive, or available. There’s even, at times, a quiet pride in how little we’ve slept. Late nights and short nights can become part of the narrative we tell ourselves and others—proof of commitment, signs of how much we care.
There’s a lot of research on sleep loss. Just search for 'sleep loss effects' and you’ll see. The message is clear: when we lose sleep, we lose our edge. We think more slowly, have less patience, and our judgment gets cloudy. It all adds up.
Sleep isn’t the opposite of ambition it’s what fuels it. When we’re well-rested, we can think clearly, make sound decisions, manage our emotions, and contribute meaningfully, thanks to a brain that’s recharged for focus, creativity, and presence.
What Sleep Does That Waking Hours Can’t
Sleep is more than just a break from the day. It’s a vital time when your body and brain quietly get to work in their own way. This is part of our natural rhythm, like how we slow down on certain days and let things move at a different pace.
Sleep doesn’t just change how we feel; it has a big effect on the brain. While you’re in deep sleep, your brain gets rid of waste, stores memories, and sorts through information. This makes it easier to remember what you’ve learned and helps you think clearly the next day. REM sleep, during which you dream, is crucial for problem-solving and managing emotions. That’s why a good night’s sleep can make everything seem a bit easier.
Your body also benefits greatly from sleep. It helps your immune system, gives you back energy, and repairs your muscles and tissues. Sleep isn’t only about recovering from the day; it’s how your body keeps itself running well. When we don’t get enough, we’re not just tired—we get irritable, lose focus, and risk burning out. With everything sleep does for us, both physically and mentally, it’s worth asking: why do we still often treat it like it doesn’t matter?
Sleep and Leadership: Why It Matters
A study from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School introduces the idea of “sleep leadership.” Leaders who prioritize better sleep for themselves and their teams often experience higher morale, better decision-making, and fewer mistakes. Poor sleep can hurt memory, attention, and decision-making. Even a little sleep loss makes it harder to focus and think quickly. Over time, it can also impact learning, creativity, and emotional control, all of which are essential for performing well at work.
A study from The Center for Creative Leadership shows that lack of sleep can hurt emotional intelligence, decision-making, and how well leaders work with others. These are all key leadership skills.
Harvard Business Review’s “Sleep Well, Lead Better” makes it clear that good sleep is not just helpful for leaders, it’s necessary. When leaders don’t get enough rest, their teams feel the impact, decisions get worse, and overall performance drops. As a leader, your habits set the tone for your team. That’s why, if you’re running on little sleep, try not to make it seem admirable, since your team might think they should do the same. Additionally, if you need to work late, consider scheduling your messages to go out during regular hours. In doing so, you show your team that setting healthy boundaries is more important than sacrificing sleep to prove your dedication.
How to get your Zs
Small changes can have a big impact. Here are three practical ways to help you get better rest and, most importantly, sleep.
Protect Your Time
Pay attention to your natural sleep window. Going to bed before you feel exhausted often works better. Staying up too late can bring on a second wind. Try a simple wind-down routine. This may include dimming the lights, turning off screens, or closing a book. These steps make the transition to sleep easier.
Restless Sleep Is Still a Signal
Falling asleep does not always mean you are truly getting rest. If you go to bed feeling stressed or rely on caffeine to get through the day, you might sleep but not feel recovered. Rather than getting frustrated, try to see these moments as helpful information. Notice patterns: racing thoughts, shallow breathing, or tense shoulders. Respond with curiosity, not judgment.
How about a nap ?
The overlooked tool here is daytime napping, especially power naps of 10–30 minutes. Sleeping during the day, particularly at work, is often seen as a sign of disengagement or laziness, but research shows otherwise. A substantial body of research indicates that short naps enhance cognitive processing, decrease errors, and increase stamina. In Japan, it is even coined as inemuri which means “being present while sleeping.”
Taking a short power nap can boost performance and well-being, a fact now recognized in professional settings. Organizations like Google, Nike, and Ben & Jerry’s offer nap pods or rest spaces, promoting the benefits of a 20-minute pause.
I’ve been a fan of power naps since my university days somewhere back in the last century! One afternoon in the library, I couldn’t keep my eyes open, so I gave in. No alarm, no smart-watch—just twenty minutes, and I woke up clear and all powered up. I’d discovered the power nap. Bringing that habit into the workplace was… tricky. Napping at your desk wasn’t exactly seen as “high performing.” But on the days I could barely stay awake, I made it work quietly. It helps when you can close your door and say, “I’ll be unavailable for 20 minutes.” (not all roles allow for that) The trick? Not getting too comfortable (and not getting caught! 😊). Just enough rest to reboot.
Sleep as a break or as a needed input ?
What if we saw sleep not as a break from getting things done, but as the key that actually helps us be productive?
Sleep isn’t only about recovery. It’s what helps us make good decisions, manage our emotions, and think creatively.
If this resonates, consider these questions—not to add pressure, but to open space: What stories have you internalized about sleep and success?
How does your sleep (or lack of it) shape your clarity, energy, and patience?
What would change if you saw rest as an act of leadership—not retreat?
This isn’t about getting it perfect. Rest is more than a basic need; it’s how we get ready to think, lead, and respond intentionally.
Eight hours of sleep ?
What if eight hours of uninterrupted sleep weren’t the only, or even the most natural, way to rest?
Historical sources suggest that humans may have once followed a different rhythm: sleeping in two distinct phases, with a quiet interval of wakefulness in between. This pattern—often called segmented or biphasic sleep—wasn’t seen as insomnia. As the BBC has explored in two separate pieces, The Myth of the Eight-Hour Sleep and The Forgotten Medieval habit of tow sleeps references to this kind of nighttime sleep have appeared in literature, personal journals, and oral traditions across different parts of the world.
The rise of electricity, urban living, and regimented work hours helped standardize the notion that “a good night’s sleep” should be continuous and unbroken. And many of us have adapted. But our bodies may not have fully caught up. That wakefulness in the middle of the night? It might not be a problem to solve after all—it could be a natural pattern, inviting us to rethink what restful sleep truly means.
In summary, rest is essential for effective leadership and personal renewal. There are various ways to rest, and each individual should find what works best. How about a catnap ? 😴
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