The Shift: Hustle is Out, Rest is In

I’m noticing something everywhere I look.
There’s a shift away from hustle culture. Away from wearing stress like a badge of honor. Being chaotic and burned out isn’t cool.

Rested and calm is HOT.

And I have to say, I 100% support this! Even if it is in a slightly twisted way…

My Sleep and Productivity Wake-Up Call

You see, to me productivity is everything. And I quickly noticed that it was deeply married to the quality of my sleep. One bad night and the next two days are average at best. I don’t like feeling average.

So when sleep starts coming up in conversations around me and I notice corporates like Discovery and Vitality moving the spotlights to it, I lean in!

You see—sleep is the new exercise!

If you have an Apple Watch, you may have noticed the more detailed sleep data it now provides.

A Quick Note on My Sleep Tracking Habits

Before we go on—something important to note:

I can get a little weird about tech (there’s a big part of me that would be happy in tie-dye in a forest), so I don’t sleep with my watch every night. I do mini check-ins at best!

I do however have a very competitive streak, so as soon as you give me data I need to know what it means! Otherwise it’s like getting your report card without the class average. (Eye-roll)

So, needless to say that’s where my research hole went this week. And in case anyone else is interested I decided to share what I found.

Sleep Stages Breakdown

2 Quick Notes Before I Share:

1. The research on sleep is vast, and everyone’s body is different in what it needs. But these are the averages that kept showing up, so I decided it was a solid place to start.

2. I have an Apple Watch, but the info applies to all sleep trackers—except that for some reason Apple refers to “Core Sleep” instead of Light Sleep.

Light Sleep (a.k.a. “Core Sleep” on Apple Watch)

• Makes up about 45–50% of your total sleep time.

• This is your body’s transition zone—muscles relax, heart rate slows, and your brain starts organizing and consolidating information.

• Think of it as the bridge between being awake and the deeper, more restorative stages.

Deep Sleep

• Makes up about 13–23% of your total sleep time.

• This is where the real restoration happens.

• Your body repairs tissue, builds muscle, strengthens your immune system.

• This is the sleep that actually makes you feel rested when you wake up.

REM Sleep

• Makes up about 20–25% of your total sleep time.

• Your brain becomes incredibly active here—consolidating memories, processing emotions, boosting creativity.

• This is also when you dream, and your body temporarily paralyzes your muscles so you don’t act those dreams out.

Why This Matters for Your Productivity

Amazing how much happens “without you”! Reading all this made me realise the importance of prioritising that crucial part of my life, again.

BTW—if your stats aren’t in line with the recommendations, there are ways to improve it. I wrote about it a while ago—you can [CLICK HERE to read it].

So in summary—sleep matters.

When you’re rested, everything changes. You can get things done. You’re not running on fumes or constantly on edge. Life just works better.

And in a world that’s finally moving away from glorifying exhaustion? That feels like the smartest advantage you could give yourself.

Talk soon,