In 2022, a full 20% of Americans made a New Year’s Resolution to lose weight or hit the gym more regularly, followed by other worthy endeavors including career and financial goals, and improving personal relationships.

Great aspirations, right? And if I’m honest, I have made one (or more!) of these my New Year’s Resolutions myself.

Missing from the list is the one resolution most likely to make all the others easier to accomplish. Setting a goal to get a full, restful night of sleep should top your list of goals for 2023.

Among the myriad of reasons to set a goal to get at least 8 hours of shuteye nightly is that sleep makes it easier for you to keep the other New Year’s Resolutions more easily.

You may be more likely to stick to your diet. Researchers Stephanie Greer, Andrea Goldstein, and Matthew Walker concluded that when compared to their well-rested selves, volunteers experienced “a significant increase in the desire for weight-gain-promoting, high-calorie foods following sleep deprivation.” Sleep helps manage cravings resulting in better food choices while enjoying added energy to exercise more regularly.

You may be more likely to perform better at work. Researchers at the University of Bergen determined that moderate sleep deprivation was negatively associated with workplace performance. Workers who were deprived of a full night’s sleep performed up to 50% slower on tests requiring quick response rates. Sleep improves mental acuity for better job performance, which may help to achieve career and financial goals.

Your personal relationships may improve. When you’re sleep-deprived, the part of your brain that ties emotions to memories—the amygdala—doesn’t function properly. This could lead to an overreaction to stress or even an inability to discern your partner's emotions. “If you have ever seen a 2-year-old who skipped a nap, you can see a version of how we all react to sleep deprivation in terms of our emotions,” says Jennifer L. Martin, Clinical Psychologist and Behavioral Sleep Medicine Specialist at UCLA. Sleep improves our ability to regulate emotion, which may result in smoother, more intimate personal relationships.

Creating a soothing sleep environment is the first step in achieving your New Year’s Resolution for improved sleep. Don’t forget your comfy pillow (try the 6-Chamber Pillow with free shipping and returns.)

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Dream big, work hard, sleep ambitiously,

Joe Castignani