Structuring Better Sleep Habits for Busy Professionals
Do you feel tired throughout the workday?
Do you want a sharper and more attentive mind to focus better on work?
As busy professionals, we often under-look the importance of sleep and the effect it has on our mind, body, mood, and productivity.
Coming from somebody who has struggled with major sleep problems for years, let me simplify things by teaching you what has helped me more than anything.
Have a consistent bedtime
You will see throughout this blog, that consistency is key. Our bodies like consistency.
We want our bodies to get used to getting tired and preparing ourselves for sleep by naturally producing melatonin at the same time each night. This will help us fall asleep faster and get deeper, quality, sleep.
This one may not be easy while traveling, especially through different time zones. But when we practice this habit at home and let our bodies get used to it, the transition won’t be so hard when we’re away.
If you are not currently doing this, pick a time that you’d like to be in bed trying to fall asleep (without your phone or watching TV).
Once you have this planned bedtime, wind down an hour prior by doing something relaxing. This could be reading, spending time in prayer, or whatever will help your body and mind relax before bed.
Put your phone and all work away to get your eyes off of the harmful blue light and to get your mind out of work-mode.
2. Have a consistent wake time
Once you nail the bedtime thing start working on a consistent wake time.
I used to be THE WORST at this. I’d get up early for clients during the week but sleep in on the weekends.
Having a consistent wake time has made a major difference in the quality of my sleep.
My method is- Set a wake time on my alarm, get used to getting up at that time for a few weeks, move the time earlier 15 minutes, get used to that, then repeat the cycle.
I’ve used this method to go from waking up after 10 am to now 7:30; and oftentimes I am waking up naturally around 7, before my alarm goes off.
And yes, I have an actual alarm clock. I suggest investing in one, setting it up across the room, and leaving the phone out of the bedroom.
3. Don’t hit the snooze button… ever.
When we can get to the point where we wake up naturally before our alarm, we know we are making progress in our sleep health. You will wake up feeling better from getting better quality sleep.
My rule for myself is- If I naturally wake up within 30 minutes before my alarm goes off, then I am up for the day.
If I wake up from my alarm clock (which is rare now) I am up and do not snooze.
Snoozing is really bad for our sleep health because when we go back to sleep it is difficult to get back into a deep sleep cycle; so we don’t wake up feeling refreshed.
It is a hard habit to break but when you do, you will make tremendous progress in the quality of your sleep and you will feel better throughout the day; trust me.
It just takes making the decision and making it a habit.
Conclusion
A lot of us busy professionals don’t get enough quality sleep and don’t have healthy sleep habits.
If this is a big struggle for you right now, start by practicing a consistent bedtime first.
Once this becomes a habit, work in a consistent wake time and don’t snooze!
With consistent practice, you can really make a drastic difference in the quality of your sleep so you can have more energy and focus on your work.
It really pays to get good sleep.
Need help structuring your workouts and structuring your eating habits? Check out my last two blogs.