Leadership Practice: Sleep
Uncertainty, chaos, stress and the need for a good night's sleep.
Sleep is often one of the first things to go when people feel pressed for time. Many view sleep as a luxury and think that the benefits of limiting the hours they spend asleep outweigh the costs.
— The Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Not too long ago, while hosting a leadership retreat I heard stories of sleepless nights and “surviving” on little sleep.
It took me back to a warm summer afternoon on a grassy Burnaby Mountain slope where as an SFU undergrad I was snoozing between (or maybe through) classes when my foot was rudely tapped by one of my T.A.s. “Hey”, he said, “don’t waste your time sleeping, you can do that when you’re old” (arrogant youth). He then went on to espouse his superior lifestyle of “less than 5 hours sleep” so that he can “really live” life.
While the good folks on the retreat weren’t quite espousing sleep as a waste of time, they were wearing a lack of sleep as an uncomfortable badge of honour, a strange sort of proof that they were somehow leading with grit and strength through the uncertainty, chaos, and stress.
But here’s the thing; the leadership that we need right now is one that gets a good night’s sleep.
Good sleep is important for our:
cognitive functions such as memory, concentration, strategic and pattern recognition, focus, learning, creativity, and judgement
mood and emotional stability and regulation
overall quality of physical health and daily life
And if that isn’t enough, it feels wonderful to get a good night’s sleep.
First, a Health Check
Before we move into practices for a good night’s sleep, we need to rule out things that may be bigger than just cool it on the coffee and scrolling.
Is it time for a complete medical exam?
I’m not talking about the 13 minutes in and out exam, I’m talking about the full body scan and prod, review of diet, sleep, and exercise, and all the lab work type of check-up. Do not put this off. Leadership is hard work and you need to know how your body is doing.
Is it time for a mental, emotional, or spiritual check-in?
This is a trick question as the correct answer is pretty much always “yes”. Checking-in with a wise elder, confidante, faith leader, coach, therapist, or counsellor is a too often underrated and over-looked wise leadership habit.
Practices for a Good Night’s Sleep
I did some poking around (see Titbits below) and here are some practices for a good night’s sleep that I am quite taken with:
Eat well all day and chose your bedtime snacks for easy digestion.
Exercise regularly and do it earlier in the day.
Enjoy some natural light and fresh air whenever possible.
Have a regular bedtime and wake-up time.
Have a bedtime ritual (while I have learned to appreciate all of the above, this one is my favourite).
Some common bedtime rituals include:
Getting ready for bed just like a well-cared for little kid.
Every evening at about the same time, brush your teeth, put on your p.j.s, and wind-down.
Taking a warm bath or shower.
Stopping work a good while before going to bed and never taking work to bed.
Feeling gratitude.
It doesn’t have to be a list or a journal entry (but hey, why not?), it just needs to be genuine, given its full attention, and deeply felt. And yes, gratitude for fuzzy socks counts.
Meditating.
Light breath work.
Light stretching or yoga.
Having a decluttered peaceful sleep area.
If you can, separate your work space from your sleeping space. If you sleep near your desk, consider a screen divider or draping a cloth over your desk.
Not using electronics before bed.
Some of the sleep experts are landing at an hour before bed with all agreeing to it being at least 30 minutes. The light from electronic devices, and this includes old-fashioned TVs, negatively affects the brain’s sense of nighttime being sleep time. Additionally, most of our electronic activities are not as relaxing as we think they are.
If you have a preference for e-books, use night-mode or warm-light options.
Enjoying a warm mug of a relaxing tea or hot milk about an hour before bed (timing to avoid middle of sleep bathroom breaks).
For those who still believe that alcohol is a relaxing drink that helps sleep, sorry but it isn’t.
Wishing you a good night,
Babs
PS: You can find out more about me and my work as a coach and facilitator at the Courageous Leaders Project.
Titbits (like Timbits, but won’t interfere with a good night’s sleep)
Struggling to Get a Good Night’s Sleep? Here is Some Advice to Help You Have Sweet Dreams, Pat Foran, CTV News, March 15, 2025.
According to the Canadian Sleep Society, adults between the ages of 18 to 64 should be getting seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
“There is also a perception that sleeping too much is somehow lazy, which is totally not the case. We want to say having enough sleep and good quality sleep leads to better quality of life,” said Dr. Michael Mak, Vice-President of the Canadian Sleep Society.
Sleep Groove: why your body's clock is so messed up and what to do about it, Olivia Walch, Phd., 2025.
Apparently it’s not just how much you sleep, but when you sleep.
Nutritionists Reveal The Last Thing They Eat And Drink Before Bed — Some Of It Will Surprise You, Julie Kendrick, HuffPost, March 20, 2025
Spoiler alert, the surprise isn’t that its nachos and red wine.
As more fulsomely explored in Sleep Groove, there is reference to the role of melatonin, magnesium, circadian rhythms, and what your body needs to do and can only do while you sleep.
Good Sleep for Good Health, News In Health, April 2021
Why do we need to sleep? People often think that sleep is just “down time,” when a tired brain gets to rest, says Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, who studies sleep at the University of Rochester.
“But that’s wrong,” she says. While you sleep, your brain is working. For example, sleep helps prepare your brain to learn, remember, and create.
Why Sleep Matters: Consequences of sleep deficiency, Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School.
Mayo Clinic Minute: Managing sleep during menopause, Sonya Goins, October 18, 2023.
Experiencing perimenopause and menopause deserves its own specific attention and care as a leadership topic, and it turns out that much of the sleep advice for this time in life is pretty much the same as the sleep advice for everyone.
“Leadership Practice” is a newish segment of the Courageous Leaders Project Newsletter where I explore short and sweet practices for inviting into our lives and leadership journeys more ease, confidence, and joy.
Photo of Duchess and Spike sleeping. As much as I talk about the dogs, it’s actually a cat ruled home.