ways to get yourself out of bed- sleep less do more

Improve your productivity- sleep less, do more

For the past few years I've been in and out of different sleeping habits, though generally getting up as late as I possibly can. This had to change, I thought.
Below are some of the findings I've made, notably methods, results and outcomes.

So over the past 3 weeks I've done a little experiment. I've tried different things in the past that haven't worked.

Things that DONT work

- going to bed early just because someone says it'll mean you'll get up early
- taking naps in the day
- staying up all night
- changing my sleep patterns regularly

(there's a seperate entry on this- this entry is the positive one!)

Methods that work

Getting up the same time each day

This means you are creating a pattern for your body. The body needs habits. We are creatures of habit. Why not let your sleep habits become good habits?

Only go to bed when you are tired

If you get up the same time everyday then you are automatically creating an internal alarm clock. What's important is to go to bed when you feel tired. Each and everyday, for most of us, will be slightly different. Weather changes, seasonal changes, lifestyle changes, differing responsibilities, exercise routines, feeling under the weather- all of these impact our energy levels and, inaway, dictate how much we should be sleeping. Knowing when you should go to sleep is important in defining, or rather redefining, sleeping habits.

Chill out before bed

Screen use can keep people awake. Its often a good idea to limit tv watching before sleep. Spend sometime relaxing, if need be (some people are happy and fine falling straight asleep- i find i need some downtime).

Watch what you eat and when

Drinking lots of fluid before bed may keep people up going to the toilet. Likewise, erupting the digestive system by forcing lots of food into it late at night can often lead to bursts of energy at the worst time.
Smaller regular meals are better than heavy meals and timing them are important. Skipping meals is normally detrimental to developing a good sleeping plan.

During the day, drink water

Good for lots of reasons. Best to drink water during the day, rather than at night. For obvious reasons.

I'll try to keep the blog updated on my progress. I'm off to relax and sleep now.

g'night!