15 Steps to better sleep
We all talk about the need to be healthier and many the desire to be more productive, improve their performance and prosperity (wellbeing). At the heart of this and the main tool to achieve this is sleep.
In the last 100 years humans have been making choices that mean we are getting less sleep. This is having a significant impact on our “health, life expectatncy, our safety, productivity and the education of our Children” Matthew Walker.
To give our precious human ‘machine’ the rest it needs there is a requirement to make a personal, cultural, professional and societal mindset shift to wards the appreciation of sleep. Matthew Walker
Personal experience
Of the many skills that I have I am lucky to have the strength of sleeping as one. However I, like most, have had other influences that have dictated the amount of sleep I get. Here are a few:
Children Once you have children gone are the days when you can regulate when you go to bed and get up in the morning. Finding time to sleep when they do and sleeping on the floor next to their cot so they rest.
Military operations They train you in basic training when you are sleep deprived and the theme continues when you are on ‘exercise’ and operations. You learn to sleep when you can rather than stick to any routine.
Crisis management There are always unexpected occasions at home, in the community and at work that requires a boost of your time and knowledge. Its not sustainable but a real sense of achievement when you deliver.
Customer obsession Going the extra mile can take time out of your ‘official’ work time. Working in a global business with multiple timezones and doing the research, report writing and more means that it can squeeze into personal rest time.
Keeping fit I love to take exercise, ideally daily, and for me I have learnt the only time I can guarantee control of my time is in the morning. With a family this means getting up and completing it before anyone else gets up.
Deadlines the challenge of a timeline and sticking to priorities can be the expense of other things. The skill is being able to define the priorities and sticking to them!
Ways to #gettingstarted
- Set an alarm for ‘bedtime’ and leave your technology out of the bedroom
- Go to bed to rest and set another alarm to remind you to turn the light off
- Share with supportive friends and family so you can share stories of success
- Walk further at lunchtime (ideally outside) to get your lunch or go anyway to see some daylight.
- Exercise but try not to exercise to late in the day.
- Try and have your last meal at least 2 hours before you go to bed
- Avoid caffeine after midday so you can relax when you need to.
- Dont drink alcohol as it may relax you but disturbs the quality of your sleep.
- Have a hot bath before you sleep to help you relax
- If you cant sleep get up and do some relaxing exercises
- Get up to daylight and or bright lights. It is recommended that you get an hours morning daylight.
- Dim the lights at night
- Stick to a sleep routine when you go to bed and wake up at the same time.
- Have a cool bedroom. A room that is too hot can reduce the chance of a great nights sleep.
- Dont take naps after 3pm (not even in the office)
- Set priorities and dont get diverted so you can complete things on time and take out the nice to haves.
I love rolling my sleeves up and getting under the skin of a significant challenge working with high energy, new and established teams (mostly entrepreneurs, tech and small businesses) to be productive, high performing and prosperous (healthy and happy).
Would be great to hear about your effective sleep routine and any tips that you can share.
