If you wake up for work feeling tired, then you’ll benefit from these strategies to get more sleep. Starting your day rested can give you a major performance advantage.
And yet, many of us struggle with sleep. A survey from Mattress Firm and OnePoll found that in 2018, people got roughly six and a quarter hours of sleep. That number dropped to five and a half hours in 2019
When you start working, are you ready to go, able to take part in important meetings, and can make smart decisions? Or do you need a couple of cups of coffee and a few hours to get going?
Keeping in mind that I am not a medical professional, here are some strategies to help you get more sleep:
Know Your Number
What is the number of hours of sleep you need to get every night, so you can perform at a high level on the job? Many doctors recommend between seven and nine hours a night.
Think about what’s your number. That’s now your nightly goal. In order to hit that number, you may need to adjust when you go to bed.
Adjust Up When Needed
Every industry has its busy times of the year, when you’ll be working longer days or more intense ones. During those times, you should try to get some extra sleep.
15 to 30 minutes more can help you perform better during these times, when you need to be at your best. Think of it as an investment in you.
Decide What to Give Up
In order to get to bed on time, you may need to do things like watch less TV or cut down on surfing the Internet. In the moment, these are fun things to do and they make it easy to lose track of time.
But if your job is the thing that makes good stuff possible in your life, then that should be a higher priority than entertainment.
Have Time to Unwind
Maybe you get into bed at a good time but find that you can’t fall asleep for a while. It’s likely you may need some time to unwind before you can go to bed.
I usually need about two hours to downshift my mind from work thoughts to being ready to sleep. You need to set up a time, after which you’ll resist the temptation to do things like check your work email. Checking your messages may only take a few minutes but it will likely put your mind back into work mode.
You don’t want to fall into the trap of thinking you’re saving time by doing these quick connections with your job, only to work slower the following day because you didn’t get enough sleep.
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