I’ve never met a daytrader who wasn’t in a hurry. We cut corners whenever possible. And one of the most common casualties of our over-driven lifestyle is quality sleep.

We sacrifice sleep for the trading dream. But that’s a mistake.

Sleep is how we recover and how we solve the deeper problems in trading and in life.  Peak performance research shows that that even a small sleep deficit takes its toll.

Unfortunately, our brains are wired to ignore symptoms of sleep deprivation, so you may not be aware of the consequences. A sleep deficit affects every organ and system in the body, but our cognitive performance and emotional stability are particularly vulnerable.

SEVEN CONSEQUENCES OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION ON THE BRAIN

• • • The brain accumulates toxins that impair behavior and judgment.
    • Our short-term memory and attention span are reduced.
    • Our ability to solve problems and be appropriately creative is compromised.
    • Activity declines in the prefrontal cortex, our crucial decision-making center.
    • Our ability to learn from our mistakes is degraded.
    • The amygdala is activated, reducing our emotional balance, so we are more likely to overreact in pressure situations.

Trading is a performance game. We don’t need peak performance all the time, but we do need consistency. To raise your trading game and keep it stable, take sleep seriously. I personally use an Oura ring and the Whoop band to track my sleep patterns. If I score low, I’m very careful about how I trade and whether I trade at all.

To your success….
Kenneth Reid, Ph.D.