Login
ISCOVER
During the day we try to achieve as much as possible: at home, work, and play. But how important is sleep to a broker's well-being - and are you getting enough?
The life of a mortgage broker can inevitably command irregular working hours.
To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in.
Looking for more benefits? Become a Premium Member.
Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more!
Looking for more benefits? Become a Premium Member.
Many brokers are self-employed and chasing new client leads requires a full-time commitment - which can mean working nights. For others, client demands often call for brokers to turbo-charge their services by working around the clock to ensure that deals are lodged on time.
As a result, a broker's personal needs - even those as simple as a good night's sleep - can fall quickly to the wayside.
CHANGING WORK DEMANDS
Human sleep patterns have changed over time and will probably continue to change. Thanks to the internet, we now live in a 24 hour society and this has in turn added to sleep disruption.
In fact, we sleep about 1 to 1.5 hours less than we did 100 years ago.
But brokers are not the only business people who are susceptible to living in a limited sleep cycle.
Sleep deprivation is common in Australia, with over 1.2 million Australians experiencing sleep disorders each year, a study by research organisation Access Economics has shown.
A person's lack of sleep can have a noticeable impact in the workplace; around 9 per cent of work-related injuries are caused by sleep deprivation, for example.
Lack of sleep has also been proven to contribute to depression, car accidents, diabetes, kidney disease and even cardiovascular disease.
So the question begs: why is sleep important and how much of it should we be getting?
According the Chiropractors' Association of Australia, sleep is a vital biological function. It is the key to physical and emotional wellness.
Having a limited amount of sleep can affect every aspect of your lifestyle - from work to home to personal relationships.
Put simply, when you're doing nothing, you're actually doing a lot of good for your body.
Experts say that on average, a person should be getting six to eight hours uninterrupted nap time each night.
PERFECT YOUR SLEEPING SKILLS
Sleep 4 Health TV sleep therapist expert Dr Raza Samvat has recognised the importance of sleep to a person's wellbeing - and the fact that it's often ignored by busy workers - and has developed a program to educate time-poor people on the importance of a good night's nap time.
Dr Samvat's ‘sleep retreat' was launched two years ago in Casuarina, on the NSW northern coast. The retreat is designed for people with sleep disorders who might not have the time to tackle sleep issues on a regular and consistent basis. Attendees have a daily treatment plan and participate in exercise programs to help them achieve their optimum sleep health goal.
But you don't have to book a sleep retreat to enjoy the health benefits of a good kip. By following some simple techniques, you can rediscover the benefits that a good night sleep can bring.
Allow yourself at least 20 minutes of ‘wind-down' time each day before your scheduled sleep time: this allows your body to relax and adjust to ‘sleep mode'. Turn off the TV, radio and other possible distractions so you can focus on what's important - you.
Also invest in a quality mattress and pillow to support your body as you sleep - you'll feel so much better for it.
And if you are one of those constant thinkers who suffers from ‘mind traffic', then a good tip is to make a quick ‘to do' list for the next day before you go to bed: this will help to put those niggling matters out of your mind for the night, which will ultimately help you get a good night's rest.
