Prioritize your sleep, get more done

It’s a common misconception—that if you can burn the midnight oil or work a few hours later each evening, you’ll get more done. I’ve personally never found this to be the case. On the contrary: Giving your mind a break—and allowing your body the sleep that it needs—boosts your energy level, your creativity, and your productivity.

Simply put, getting a good night’s sleep isn’t a waste of time. It actually helps you to make the most of your time and get more done.

So how can you improve the quality of your sleep in a way that enhances your productivity?

Prioritise your sleep, get more done

• First, change your way of thinking about sleep. Think of it as an investment. Every hour of sleep you get is an investment in your productivity, and you need to maintain that investment at a certain level—roughly eight hours a night—to function at your best. That doesn’t mean you can’t occasionally work into the night and get, say, five hours and be perfectly fine. Overall, though, that eight hours/night number is an average you want to maintain.

• Routine is everything. You have to condition your body that, between these hours, it’s sleeping That means trying to go to bed at the same time each night, and also waking up at the same time each morning. Sleeping in until noon on Sunday morning may feel nice, but it can actually disrupt that careful rhythm you’ve developed.

• Recognize which parts of the day tend to be your most productive, and plan the rest of your day accordingly. If you really do your best work at 10 PM, by all means work late—but then allow yourself to sleep in a little later, making sure you get those eight hours. Working into the evening means you don’t need to rise at the crack of dawn. Make that investment in sleep!

• Finally, I urge everyone to spend some time making the best possible environment for sleep. That means a comfortable mattress, a cool temperature, unbelievably comfy pyjamas – made by Homebody of course, and an absence of light (including smartphone emissions) in your room. The time and money you put into this are well worth it for improved health and productivity!

The bottom line! Your sleep is something to be serious about—and with these steps, you can really make a meaningful investment into your own wellbeing that will be a real asset to your work lifesaver if you are a good sleeper you will find yourself more effective in the workplace by being more awake, in a better mood and generally a better decision maker.

Have a great week Homebodies.