What if you could take a pill that improved your productivity at work? And what if the pill were free? Oh, and it made you feel really good? And improved your overall health?` No such pill exists, but science suggests an alternative does: sleep. Mounting evidence suggests that a good night's sleep seriously boosts productivity. One study of 4,188 U.S. workers found "significantly worse productivity, performance, and safety outcomes" among those who slept less, and estimated a $1,967 loss in productivity per worker due to poor sleep. Yet, paradoxically, what is the main driver of poor sleep? `Work overload,' according to another study. So many of us are not getting enough sleep because we're working too much. And we're not working efficiently because we're not getting enough sleep. Sound like a bad pattern? It is, according to Matthew Carter, PhD, a sleep specialist at Williams College, who explores this paradoxical productivity crisis in his TEDx talk "The Science of Sleep (and the Art of Productivity)." Carter argues that you're able to get more done on a good night's sleep, not less. Dr. Carter isn't alone in sounding the alarm about poor sleep, as Ariana Huffington has also focused her attention on the topic, delivering a TED Talk and penning a best-selling book on sleep and productivity. Research shows that a recent study of 1,000 adults tracked productivity and sleep quantity and quality, finding "sleep duration (both short and long), insomnia, sleepiness, and snoring were all associated with decreased work productivity." The conclusion was clear: `Sleep should be considered an important element in workplace health.` Researchers have known for years that poor sleep dramatically reduces performance for activities ranging from athletics to academia. A 2012 meta-analysis of 24 studies found "significant impairments" in problem-solving and memory capacity among poor sleepers. Another study of interior design students found that students who maintained short sleep durations, highly variable night-to-night sleep durations, or had fragmented sleep demonstrated pre- to poststudy declines on the laboratory measure of creativity. Dr. Carter explains that one of the biggest reasons people don't get enough sleep is because they feel they have too much to do or are stressed about what they need to work on. So many of us continue to lose sleep because we're so busy. Carter argues that you're able to get more done on a good night's sleep, not less. He also emphasizes the importance of quality of sleep, stating that "most people need somewhere between six and eight hours," and that "it depends." Research shows that sleep duration matters as much or more than quantity. One study of college students found that `average sleep quality was better related to sleepiness than sleep quantity.` Carter advises creating a routine at night to signal to your body that it's time to wind down, suggesting behaviors like turning down the lights, changing into sleepwear, and reading a book before bed. Even if you follow all these practices, you might still have trouble getting enough sleep. Dr. Carter offers advice on how to overcome common obstacles, such as snoring partners or working at night. Ultimately, research shows that good sleep improves productivity, and improving your productivity can actually improve your sleep, creating a virtuous cycle.