Which is better – one extra hour in the morning or one the evening? Staying up one hour late doesn’t mean you gain an extra hour’s productivity.
In fact, you may be eating into tomorrow’s resources. Getting a good night’s sleep is critical to your performance, creativity, and ability to cope with tomorrow’s stress. Here’s how to get the sleep you need.
5 Ways to Increase Productivity with Better Sleep
- Schedule – Go to bed at the same time every night. This teaches your body to anticipate rest at this hour. Soon it will demand you switch off at the given hour. You’ll also start to wake up at the same hour.
- Remove distractions – Don’t bring electronic devices into the bedroom, including the TV. Leave your phone, laptop and other gadgets outside. Don’t fall asleep in front of a monitor. The bedroom is for sleeping only. Well, mostly 🙂
- Write down outstanding To Dos – Create a list of all the things you need to do tomorrow. This frees up space in your memory and removes the stress of trying to remember everything.
- Wind Down – Unless you’re a trained ninja, it’s unlikely you can fall asleep immediately. Instead, curl up with a good book. Avoid business books, which is another way to squeeze more work into your day. Read fiction, histories, or biographies.
- Sleep Well – Keep the room cool, wear loose clothing, and avoid alcohol a few hours before sleeping. While wine has a nice soothing effect, it dehydrates you. Beer encourages you to get up around 2 am to…
Another suggestion is to play soothing music or white noise.
Does it work?
I find that having a regular sleeping pattern and getting the hours I need (seven?) makes me feel more balanced. I’ve noticed that I wake up without an alarm clock and can cope with things much better.
How about you? How many hours sleep do you need? What’s the biggest problem in getting the sleep you need?