Chip Chick
Or, we believe in a “non-limited theory of willpower”—that we can re-energize and recover from feeling drained (even during a post-lunch slump).
The Dublin study shows that this distinction can tell us a great deal about sleep and its effect on potential employee output.
So, just believing we need a lot of sleep to be productive can actually make things harder for us when we don’t sleep well? Exactly.
These authors believe that “individuals who hold a limited resource theory rely more strongly on sleep as a recovery process.”
So, when you count on sleep to give you mileage the next day, you might have less energy than your more optimistic, equally sleep-deprived counterparts.
Also, you might conserve your energy to “protect remaining resources”—i.e., you put less energy into your work from the start since you’re afraid of running out.
In summary? We can conquer that day-after sluggishness if we deal with our negative perspective; if we expect more mileage out of our bodies, they will give us more.
Still, this isn’t a justification for working into the wee hours every night and expecting your willpower to pick up the slack at work the next day.
And if you’re still struggling with energy loss at work following a poor night’s sleep, it’s also worth putting effort in to rejuvenate yourself.
You can meditate, take micro-breaks, or even go for a walk during lunch. So, there you have it—sleep is not necessarily the key to our success. But it sure doesn’t hurt.
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