From Sleep Deprived to Super Worker – 5 Practical Tips to Improve Your Sleep Schedule and Stick to It

Waking up with burning eyes and a throbbing headache is never any fun, but luckily this can be prevented by following an improved sleep schedule.

If you don’t get enough rest, your body can’t function at its best. You need to formulate and stick to a sleeping schedule that will allow your body to reset during the night, so you wake up feeling fresh and excited for the day.

How To Improve Your Sleep Schedule

Sleeping well is a habit. If you’re not used to doing it, you’ll have to learn how to. You can do many things during the day to promote healthy sleeping habits and achieve an improved sleep schedule.

Wake Up Early

Contrary to what you may think, waking up before sunrise does not leave you feeling tired. Many successful people use this habit to improve their productivity during the day.

When you rise early, your day feels longer by the time you go to bed. Your body will already be tired, and you’ll be able to fall asleep without counting sheep.

The first few days of getting up before your alarm clock typically goes off will be challenging, but you’ll need to push through if you want to experience the results.

Set a Bedtime Routine

An easy sleep routine can significantly affect how your body responds to rest.

Even if you’re a spur-of-the-moment person, you can still follow a bedtime routine without being restricted by time. There’s no need to look at the clock when following a sleep routine because the only thing that matters is what you do before you hit the sack.

You can follow an easy routine like taking a shower, brushing your teeth, lathering your body in your favourite lotion, and putting on your pyjamas and socks.

If you do certain things in a specific order each time before you plan to sleep, your body will start recognizing these signals, and you’ll fall asleep easier, no matter how late you get to bed.

Increase Your Sunlight Exposure

Your day-night cycles are significantly influenced by light. A lot of sunlight exposure during the day is essential if you’re resetting your body clock.

You can expose yourself to more sunlight by:

• Eating your breakfast outside or in front of a sun-facing window
• Spending more time outside
• Allowing natural sunlight to come into your home or office

Clear Your Mind Before Bed

If you often struggle to fall asleep because of overthinking, it’s a good idea to clear your mind as part of having an easy sleep routine.

You can start by limiting your social media and television exposure an hour before you plan on going to bed.

Once you’re in bed, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Be still and concentrate on nothing else but your breathing for a few minutes.

Doing this exercise will clear your mind and help you fall into a deep sleep.

Optimise Your Bedroom for Better Sleeping

Numerous studies have shown that external factors influence your sleeping schedule. The environment you sleep in is key to a better night’s rest.

Your bedroom should be a quiet place where you go to relax. To improve it, you should ensure that your bedroom is clean, minimise artificial light and noise exposure and maintain an ideal temperature for sleeping. It is also super important to ensure you have the best mattress for your sleep type so your body is well supported throughout the night. 

How To Stick to a Sleep Schedule

One of the best ways to balance yourself between your work and private life is by setting up a schedule and basically forcing yourself to shut out any office thoughts.

You can start this schedule from the moment you get home or allow yourself some time to vent about your day at work before switching to a relaxed mode.

Whatever you decide to do, sticking to it will determine its success. Here are some ways to help you ace it:

1. Write specific times down and put it up where you can frequently spot it.
2. Set an alarm to remind yourself that you need to enter the relaxation zone.
3. Get a hobby like sewing or building a puzzle that you can do to distract you and help you relax.
4. Create a reward chart to motivate you.
5. Switch off the outside world once you begin your sleep routine.

TIP: Follow your schedule for at least 21-days to make it a habit!

In Conclusion

Working on things that improve your sleep routine will help you be more productive during the day, which will result in less stress when you leave the office. It will be hard to let go of old habits, but the changes will stick with persistence.

An improved sleep schedule can do more than just boost productivity – it can change your entire state of mind.

Author Bio

Rupert Johnson leads the team at Cosy Sleep. After realising how many people struggle with finding quality sleep, Cosy Sleep was born to bring people the best mattress and sleep product reviews as well as providing practical tips and tricks to getting a better, more cosier sleep each night.