It’s essential to get seven to nine hours of sleep every night so that we can be at our productive best in the morning.
How do you sleep for maximum productivity? Here are six tips for sleeping better so that you can give your productivity a boost.
1. Create a Nighttime Ritual
Create a fixed nighttime ritual. Choose a specific time to go to bed and decide when you’ll start your bedtime ritual. It will help you be more intentional about sleep while easing yourself out of your daily activities.
When planning your nighttime ritual, set aside 30 to 60 minutes for it. This will give you enough time to prepare, relax, and wind down for rest. Typical activities include dimming the lights, brushing your teeth, having a relaxing cup of tea, listening to music, and reading a book. Whatever you decide to do, make sure that your sleeping habits help you get in the mood for sleep.
2. Avoid Blue Light Exposure
Avoid blue light exposure from laptops, smartphones, and other electronic screens at night. Blue-wavelength light inhibits the production of melatonin, a chemical that our brains produce to help us sleep well. Even the Centers for Disease Control cautions against the use of blue light before bedtime because it can make it harder to fall and remain asleep.
Hence, follow an “electronics shutoff ritual” during which you shut off all your electronic gadgets at least two hours before your sleeping schedule.
3. Get Enough Sunlight
To maintain good sleeping habits, we need to support our bodies’ circadian rhythms. This is the natural 24-hour cycle that tells our bodies when it’s time to wake up and when to doze off.
It’s a delicate balance that can be influenced by the amount of sunlight we receive. Aside from enhancing the quality of our sleep, sunlight provides vitamin D and can even help with mild depression.
So, the next time you have trouble sleeping or have a body clock that’s out of whack, try getting more sunlight early the next day.
4. Take Short Naps
Do you feel sluggish in the middle of the day and just can’t seem to snap out of it? Give in to what your body’s trying to tell you and take a short nap. Sometimes, taking brief 15 to 20-minute naps in the middle of the day can help you power through. Not only that — it also brightens your mood while helping you focus and perform better.
5. Limit Your Caffeine Intake
No matter how much you love your cup of joe, it’s a fact that caffeine can hurt your sleep quality and, in turn, productivity. This is because caffeine can take up to 10 hours to leave your bloodstream, making sleep elusive and keeping you alert at night.
You should thus avoid ingesting caffeine eight to 10 hours before your bedtime.
6. Create the Ideal Bedroom Environment
Make your bedroom the most relaxing room in the house. It should have the ideal temperature for sleep and be as comfortable as possible. Incorporate relaxing colors, keep it tidy, have a lampshade for calming light, use comfortable bedding, and establish a specific area for sleep.
Sufficient and Restful Sleep Sets Us up for a Productive Day Ahead
To have a productive day, you need to get the right amount of sleep and adopt behaviors that promote restful slumber.
Does sleeping too much decrease productivity? Yes, sleeping for 10 hours or more is as bad as sleep deprivation and negatively affects productivity. So, make it a point to get no more than nine hours of sleep every night. By taking the time to rest properly, you’re more likely to get a lot done the next day!
