“Inside Out”, Pixar’s hit put a powerful visual to the workings of our memory storage. When Riley goes to sleep, Joy pushes a large button to load her memories from the day into a vacuum tube and they are transported out for “long-term” storage. As humans, our memories are held in the hippocampus until we reach REM sleep then they are distributed to other parts of the brain to be kept long-term. Notice without sleep, nothing moves.
Sleep is not the only reason for memory challenges, but it is quite prevalent with high achievers who may be cutting into their normal sleep cycle. 80% of executives who come into my office concerned about memory problems answer “no” when asked if they are getting 7-9 solid hours of sleep each night.
“7-9 hours?!?” you might be thinking. The National Sleep Foundation recently reviewed their suggested standards and found for optimal functioning 7-9 hours is required on average for adults. This number is not just for memory and cognitive functioning, but also for optimal physical health.
Within days of improving sleep quality and quantity executives see an increase in memory both short term and long. Forgetting details at the office or misremembering a client meeting can have serious consequences and erode your confidence.
The easiest way to gauge your optimal sleep time is to forego the alarm for 2-3 days and let your body naturally wake up. Calculate back, subtracting those hours from the time you need to be up in the morning for your best “wind down” and sleep time. It can be as simple as going to sleep 30 minutes earlier.
My research over the past 15 years into sleep inadequacy points to the top cause….. a busy brain that will not quiet. Ever find yourself laying in bed with a brain that will not shut off? We all have. As soon as you identify it, implement the skills that work best for you to quiet the thoughts.
Develop a routine to implement your most effective tool right after you settle into your bed, achieve quality sleep and tomorrow put your memory back on track.
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