To be our best as coaches, we need to have an awareness of factors that help to move clients from where they are now to an outcome goal somewhere later in time. But there are many factors that can get in the way and undermine our hard work and strategies. We know that our client needs to eat properly and get solid rest in order to recover and have energy for a workout if we are also doing physical training. But all coaching types get better client results when outlying specifics – like sleep – are not sufficient. What if their sleep is short-changed?

Why is Sleep Important?

As coaches, we know the importance of sleep, and we also can use our understanding of how active the brain is during sleep as a coaching tool, to help understand or identify a client who is not getting sufficient sleep.

With sleep in mind, it serves as no surprise that the brain is the command center of the sleep cycle. In addition to making a decision, the brain also produces and consolidates memories. The brain forms ingenious connections, as well as detoxifying and the ability to learn and understand how to carry out physical tasks. In other words, if you want to improve your performance on any task, then you may want to consider getting your clients to sleep longer. Think of sleep as the environment for our mental housekeeper to stay and work for the best function.

While many people can be sleep deprived on occasion, there is a greater incidence of chronic sleep problems in those with mental health/psychiatric conditions. This includes post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and bipolar disorder. In the past, sleep disorders such as insomnia were seen as symptoms. Studies suggest that issues with sleep can play a larger role in contributing to the development of some mental health conditions. Addiction to substances such as alcohol or opioids has been shown to be disruptive to the sleep cycle. [Read more…]