It is not a surprise to find out that higher productivity and efficiency has a very strong link to sleep – not in terms of quantity, but quality. However, many people today struggle with getting enough sleep today because you want to build a better future for yourself, as well as grow your own business and accomplish more tasks. For some people, this approach works perfectly, while for some, it does not and it leads to sleep deprivation and poor performance.
You might try to squeeze in more sleep hours on your comfortable ghostbed mattress in the comfort of your home, but in the fast-paced nature of today’s world, that alone seems like mission impossible. The major lesson here is learning to sleep smartly, not necessarily for very long. Here are some tips to help you maximize the sleep you get.
Consider using bedtime affirmations more often
The power to success lies in your mind, but many people do not know about this tip – even less might know that it actually works to improve your sleep. The power of affirmation also works well when you are training your mind to rest at the right times, even if you will be sleeping for a few hours.
an instance would be telling yourself that you will wake up at a specific time in the morning, and that will help you get sufficient sleep quality in that time. The more you prepare your subconscious mind to utilize the recovery time, the more it will learn to be efficient, and you will wake up feeling more productive and happy.
Either nap in the right way, you do not do it at all
While taking naps is a great method of helping you power through the rest of your day, most people end up doing it wrongly and have no sleep when evening comes. For instance, taking a nap for two hours.
First off, naps are supposed to be short periods of sleep – they are not the full course thing. So never nap for more than one and a half hours – otherwise, you are reducing the chances of you actually going to sleep properly in the evening. The second thing is timing your naps correctly – always take them between 1 to 3 p.m. to help you maximize on REM sleep. If this is not possible, then you are better holding it off until you can go to bed in the evening.
The main danger of taking naps after 3 in the afternoon is the chances are higher for your body to get into a long sleep cycle, and it becomes very difficult to wake up.
The best ally for you is doing some exercise
Exercise does not just help you stay fit and boost your mood, but also helps in boosting your chances of getting high quality sleep. This is particularly true when you do some intense exercise routine a few hours before you head to bed.
In fact, the best time to exercise is at 6 p.m., then head
to bed three to four hours later. This is because the body will fall into deep
sleep cycles faster when you are physically tired, which helps in improving the
quality of your sleep.
Whenever you can, make sure to sleep alone
Among the worst things that can happen when you are in the middle of your sleep is having someone disturb you – especially when you are in deep sleep. In fact, there are some studies that show you have a 30 percent higher chance of experiencing sleep disturbances when you are sleeping in the same bed with someone else. It may not always be possible, especially if you have a spouse or infant, but sleep alone whenever you can – it will improve your sleep time so much more.
Have a hot or warm bath before you sleep
One of the most important tricks you can add to your bedtime
routine is a warm or hot bath – and trust us, it always works. In particular,
it can help a lot when you have had a very long day or want to prime your body
for sleep, and scientific research even backs it up as a viable method.
Wake up at the right time
The study of sleep reveals that sleep is not one constant black fog that happens an entire night; it actually has cycles that repeat themselves after every 90 minutes. If you wake up in the middle of the cycle, you will feel sleepy and unproductive for the rest of your day. If you wake up at the end of a complete cycle, just before a new cycle begins, you will feel fresh.
It is therefore important to be intentional about your sleep patterns, and this will help you get complete sleep cycles and be more productive. The good news is that there are mobile apps out there that can help you calculate your sleeping hours, such as Sleepyti.me and Smart Sleep.
Improving your breakfast intake
In the morning, the priority is to get your system up and running – and you can do this through the food you take. Well-balanced breakfasts will ensure you stay productive throughout the working hours, and you will not need to struggle with cravings later in the day.
If you cannot take breakfast at that point, then prioritize
drinking water in the morning. This is because brain fog increases sharply when
you are dehydrated, and you can even develop headaches or difficulties in
concentrating on your work.
Removing the things or habits that are interfering with your sleep
Sometimes, lack of sleep is due to bad habits that we have. It is not enough to wrap yourself in your blankets and shut your eyes for you to sleep.
Caffeine and alcohol will present serious challenges to creating a proper sleeping cycle and habits. While many people do know about the effects of caffeine, you may not know that they last longer than you might think – between four and seven hours. Alcohol, on the other hand, will make you fall into false sleep, because it interferes with the length of sleep cycles and makes you more exhausted when you wake up.
Conclusion
Sleep is very important for your productivity and health, so you can boost its quality through these tips. However, also take care not to reduce your sleep hours too much – there must always be balance.