Sleep Better To Achieve More At Work
Insufficient sleep has an impact on every part of our lives, including work. Lack of sleep can undermine performance and can create a vicious cycle of working more hours to compensate for diminished efficiency and having less time to sleep. Here you will find some some helpful tips on how to sleep better so you achieve more at work.
As anyone who has had a restless night knows, sleep deprivation can affect your mood, increasing anxiety, depression, irritability, and impatience. Additionally, it can weaken physical performance and memory, making mistakes more likely to happen. This means the workplace is often a less than productive environment.
By experimenting with the following tips, you can hopefully enjoy better sleep at night, boost your health and improve your work day.
Find Your Best Sleep
What’s the best sleep schedule for productivity? It depends on you and your chronotype. Whether you’re a night owl or an early bird, your chronotype determines your internal body clock. It can also dictate whether you’re more productive in the morning or at night. Instead of trying to force your chronotype to fit typical standards, lean into it and do your best work at the best times for you personally.
Make sure that you are getting enough sleep to feel rested each morning. Your ideal amount of sleep may be outside the recommended 7 to 7.5 hours per night for the average adult. Pay attention to your sleep patterns, do you wake up after only 6 hours and feel great? Do you get a full 8 hours and not feel refreshed?
Once you know how much sleep you need, set a sleep schedule that allows for that amount and follow it consistently. The better your train your body to a regular sleep program, the easier it will be to fall asleep and wake up.
Establish a Calming Bedtime Routine
Each night, in the half hour before bed, complete the same set of actions in the same order. The goal is to train your mind to associate this bedtime routine as preparation for sleep, so try calming activities, if possible. Make yourself a cup of tea, take a warm, relaxing bath or write down your to-do-list for the following day. Clearing those tasks from your mind allows you to relax and worry about them tomorrow, instead of lying in bed and staring at the ceiling all night.
Create a Restful Sleep Environment
Reserve your bed for sleep – no work, no hobbies and definitely no binge worthy tv series. You want your mind to associate your bedroom with rest and relaxation, not stressors from work or exciting tv shows.
Beyond restricting your nighttime activities, there is a lot you can do to make your bedroom conducive to sleep. Keep it cool and dark. Outfit your bed with a high quality, supportive mattress and comfortable bedding. Keep your bedroom clean which can prevent allergies and irritations and clear of clutter, for a relaxed mind.
Turn Off Your Devices
All electronic items interfere with your sleep. If you’re like most people, your smartphone is going to be your biggest sleep blocker. All of these devices emit high levels of strong, blue light that your brain perceives strongly and also associates with sunlight.
By turning off your devices you can eliminate some of the confusion this blue light creates for your brain, making it easier to fall asleep.
Watch What You Eat and Drink.
A healthy diet makes for a healthy body and a healthy sleep to go along with it. Eat well during the day and pay extra attention to evening meals and late-night snacking. Limit your sugar, caffeine and alcohol intake. To varying extents, all of these things may mess with your digestive system and your mind, interfering with your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Additionally, balance your fluid consumption. Drink enough water at night to keep from waking up thirsty but not so much or so close to bedtime that you will be awakened by the need for a trip to the bathroom.
Exercise Early and Regularly.
Even though it can feel energizing, exercise is an activity that can actually help improve your sleep patterns, depending on when you do it. Exercising regularly in the morning or early part of the day will help to physically tire your body out, so you practically fall into bed at night.
Give yourself a boost by taking a brisk walk or physical activity outside in the morning. The natural daylight (and sunlight) help synchronize your circadian rhythms and could possibly help you get a better night’s rest.
Some of these tips will be easier to include in your daily and nightly routine than others. However, if you stick with them, your chances of achieving restful sleep will improve. Make good sleep a priority because getting enough sleep is essential to your physical well-being and mental health and plays an important part in your workplace performance and success.
