A wake up call: Sleep to perform

Being a professional in the retirement living sector often means wearing many hats – and juggling them all while travelling, leading, learning, and caring.

Over the past 12 months, as we’ve rolled out our Professional Development Days across the country, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to meet with so many of you in person.

And yet, there’s a recurring theme that’s followed me from early morning flights to late-night hotel rooms: the challenge of sleep.

Sleep, or the lack of it, is more than a passing frustration for many of us. 

Here is the thing, I know I’m not alone. Poor sleep can sneak in quietly, but its impact on our performance, wellbeing, and leadership is loud and clear.

At the 2024 Village Summit, we were lucky to be joined by keynote speaker Lisa McInnes-Smith, a powerhouse in personal development. Last week, we caught up with her in Melbourne.

It was a meeting that reminded me being a high performer isn’t about pushing harder – it’s about choosing better. Having a routine and developing habits that enables us to perform at a high level, day after day.

One of the most underrated habits we can develop is healthy sleep.

Lisa’s message struck a chord: our habits – the good, the bad, and the ones we pretend don’t matter – directly influence our energy, mindset, and ability to lead well. Sleep sits at the centre of that.

Over the last year, we’ve spoken extensively about wellness, leadership and emotional intelligence. Underpinning all of these is a simple truth: without enough rest, none of it sticks.

I’ve personally noticed that even the best tools, strategies, or PD learnings are harder to apply when I’m running on empty.

Sleep science backs this up. A study out of Penn State University categorised sleep patterns into four types: good sleepers, weekend catch-up sleepers, insomnia sleepers, and nappers.

Not surprisingly, those with insomnia or frequent napping habits were at higher risk of conditions like diabetes, depression, and cardiovascular disease. But what really stood out to me was that many of us don’t even recognise when we’ve slipped into less-than-helpful sleep patterns – because we’re so used to being tired.

Being tired is not normal. So, here’s my encouragement: as professionals talking about developing good habits, and routines, let’s start talking about sleep. Not just in theory, but in practice.

As a woman in her fifties balancing full-time work, family life, and frequent travel, I have found myself lying awake at 2 am more times than I care to admit, even though I know I need to be “on” the following morning.

As Lisa encouraged, lets develop habits that serve us rather than those which quietly drain us.