Tired of fighting to be more productive every day?
How’d you sleep last night? Are you struggling to wake up every morning? What about going to be at night?
Do you wish for once you could just wake up refreshed and ready to conquer your to-do list?
Ya know, without ten alarms, loud dance music, your morning java, wasting hours on social cuss you’re not feeling like it, starving for an ounce of productivity?
*Insert my guilty face here.* Or maybe that’s just me?
Part of me wonders if I’m a night owl, aka NOT a morning or waking up in general person, because I have bad sleeping habits. It takes me a good few hours every day to get going and hit my productivity stride.
But then again, even the most inspired and motivated person hits bouts of productivity drought, where things just start to go off the rails and by off the rails I mean your streetcar named desire is face down in a ditch with the hazards flashing “I need more sleep.”
Or maybe, you’re sacrificing sleep in the name of being more productive and achieving your goals. But at what cost to tomorrow’s productivity? It’s a dangerous spiral, and before you know it you’re not sleeping at all and falling apart a little bit more each day until there’s no one left.
It’s time to get a good night’s rest, with 7 quick ways to sleep better tonight.
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Lack of Sleep Side Effects
There’s no doubt that as an adult we miss the part of childhood that involved sleeping. But now all we can do is just pray to get some sweet, deep sleep for ourselves.
Most of us are guilty of waking up and working at odd hours or just being in binge-work mode. This sleep deprivation causes quick exhaustion and a terrible sleeping pattern.
To scare you, even more, science agrees that sleeping less than 7 hours can cause you to gain weight, induce depression, irritability, high blood pressure and several other low blows to your immune system.
Stop burning the midnight oil and create your own scared night time routine.
7 Quick Ways to Sleep Better Tonight
Well here are a few tips which will help you sleep better and amazingly also increase productivity too. Getting good sleep doesn’t mean you’re getting less done, but the opposite is true in fact. You need a good night’s rest to consistently get more done.
#1. Create a Sleep Space
Yup, you’re tired. You get home and decide to just leave everything, hop onto the bed and just pass out.
You don’t care if you have a messy bed or if the lights are on, you just need your sleep.
Maybe you even pass out on the sofa, taking a post-work day nap. You’re sleeping and the TV is watching you. You just can’t help it.
👉🏽 RELATED POST: 5 Ways to Improve Your Bedroom for Better Sleep
Well, in this episode, this is the first step towards sleep-suicide. Better sleep requires a better environment. You need to be comfortable and create such an environment that sends signals to your brain that “it’s time to rest.”
And not on your living room sofa either, in your bedroom at the end of the day. The problem is that when you get poor quality sleep the night before, you end up taking naps to boost your energy. This can sabotage your ability to get a sound night’s sleep the following night. You can get caught in a cycle of “not enough” sleep.
Turn off all your devices and light sources and give yourself a break from all the things which you see or do in the daytime. Create a whole different environment so that your brain registers that you’re in the “comfort zone” and not the “work zone.”
#2. Get Comfortable
To get a good night’s sleep, you need to be comfortable.
In order to be comfortable, you need to invest in great bedding that gives you a comfortable sleep. A comfortable bed and a good quality mattress with feather-soft cushions will seduce you after a long tiring day at the office.
For instance, have you ever noticed why we tend to sleep better in the winter? That’s because of the extra layer of comfort in the form of quilts and blankets. It’s a lot easier to fall asleep soundly when you’re all cozy and bundled in blankets.
Similarly, you should work hard and get yourself the perfect mattress, pillows, and bedding so that you can at least rest better, all year round. (Or crank the AC and pull out those winter blankets).
#3. Limit Your Drinking
The concoction of good sleep does not include alcohol or caffeine – not after the 7 pm mark at least. Now no one can really give up on caffeine or alcohol-based beverages entirely, but you can stop consuming them in the evening.
The logic behind this consumption is simple: your system needs to avoid any stimulants that might keep it buzzing. This is the same reason that most scientists suggest to avoid nicotine, caffeine and heavy snacking especially during night time. And in all honesty, avoiding them does help you sleep better.
#4. Get Up and Exercise
If you have been struggling to sleep peacefully, try exercising in the evening.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that you start training in hopes of sweet dreams, but all this body exertion will release happy hormones in the body that will cause your body to not only feel great but function even better.
It doesn’t have to be an intense workout either, there are plenty of relaxing exercises like Tai Chi, Yoga, and Qigong meditation.
Plus, with exercise, you will be able to develop a proper schedule for the day that will help you in your disrupted sleep patterns.
👉🏽RELATED POST: 6 Healthy Lifestyle Excuses You Need To Stop Making
#5. Stop Trying to “Catch Up”
If you have been sleeping in on your weekends in hopes of “catching up” on lost sleep, then you are causing more harm than good.
What basically happens here is that our bodies are able to recognize patterns and adapt them readily. If you decide to catch up, you are giving your body a completely new pattern to work on, disturbing its natural course. This just causes you to be even lazier and hit creative blocks.
Ever wondered why the weekend makes you slower and less productive? Well, now you know.
👉🏽RELATED POST: 12 Morning Routine Habits
#6. No More Hitting Snooze
Even if you are sleeping 3 hours or 8 hours, do not snooze your alarms. These extra 5-10 minutes of sleep are not worth it.
Let’s put it this way, your body goes through several temperature changes during your entire sleep cycle. When it is near its end, the body’s temperature starts to rise and you naturally wake up. This natural wake sequence gets disturbed every time you hit the snooze button.
When you are in deep sleep your body is at a lower temperature and when the alarm goes off you wake up and that sends a signal to the brain to start warming up. But before your body can actually warm-up, you snooze it away.
This sends the body into sleep mode and just as it is about to take the perfect dip, BOOM! The alarm goes off again. Now your mind and body are confused to a whole new level. So the longer you snooze, the more you confuse your mind and the more zombie-like morning you are bound to have.
👉🏽 RELATED POST: How to feel More energized when you're tired
#7. Don’t Force Yourself
If you’re in bed and can’t seem to sleep, do not force yourself.
The better way to handle this sleeplessness is to leave your bed and do something else. By diverting your mind or just relaxing, you can actually fall asleep faster.
Plus never keep a time check on yourself. The more you calculate your sleeping hours, the more anxious you are going to spend the rest of your night. This is why it is important to not panic when it comes to sleeping right.
In fact, your mind works well under the placebo effect, which means you can actually convince your mind that you are well-rested and have slept well!
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Lastly, with a little bit of self-control and focus, you can not only sleep better but can be more productive, even after a bad night.
Improved sleep patterns will definitely give you sufficient strength to knock the next day out.
Plus you’re human, not a robot. A lot of people think of sleep as a luxury but that’s not true. The quality and quantity of your sleep directly impact your cognitive ability and productivity.
As odd as it might seem to you, getting good sleep is one of the top productivity tips and tricks!
You need better sleep for better results.
Happy Sleeping!
Do you wish for once you could just wake up refreshed and ready to slay? Tired of being tired? Here’s how to sleep better tonight and increase your productivity. #Sleep #Insomnia #Productivity #LifeHackClick To Tweet
What’s the best way to sleep better at night?
More About Guest Contributor
Aqib Nazir is Stay at Home Dad, IT Consultant and Blogger. He loves writing about digital marketing, sleep, productivity, and growth hacking. His work has been featured on some famous publication including Business.com, The Huffington Post, and Tweak Your Biz.
Last Updated on September 24, 2020
Sue Dunlevie says
Hi Aqib,
Love this article – I’m a sleeper and if I don’t get 7 hours, I’m not good at all.
Thanks,
Sue
Nadalie says
Thanks for your comment Sue! Omg me too, I’m the worst at actually getting enough sleep.
Alexandra | The Happy Life Formula says
I love my sleep! Great tip about the snooze button- I am so guilty of this but these reasons make a lot of sense to force me to try and stop.
Nadalie says
Hey Alexandra,
Me too – sleep is the best. GOOD sleep is even better. I actually live alarmless most, unless I need to be somewhere.
Thanks for commenting,
Nadalie
Mary says
I can fall asleep and stay asleep no problem. The problem is sleeping at a decent time. lol
Nadalie says
Gotta get into bed early then Mary! No more late night chats =)
I’m going to “try” to be better too!
jes says
If only I could stop hitting snooze! lol
Nadalie says
LOL, I feel ya on this one. It’s just so easy to hit that button.
Kasia says
Great tips here. I didn’t know about the snoozing disturbances. I always use the snooze button. Yikes, I need to stop that pattern. Thanks.
Nadalie says
Thanks Kasia! Glad you find it helpful. You do for sure, if I really need to get up I set one alarm and put my phone so far away I have to get up to turn it off.
Happy sleeping,
Nadalie
Makeba Giles says
These are all very great tips that you share here! A good night’s sleep yields huge benefits — especially in the area of health!
Nadalie says
Hey Makeba,
Yay, so glad you find them helpful! There are like no down-sides to getting more sleep that’s for sure.
Lisa says
A sleep space is so important to me! I obsessively make the bed in the morning and keep things picked up, because when I go to sleep, I want it to be a comfortable, sleepy place! But we really do need to get a more comfortable mattress- that’s a good tip!
Nadalie says
Hey Lisa,
Yes, me too! I think I make my bed not because it looks good made, but because I so enjoy climbing into a prepared bed ya know?
I’m so happy I love my mattress, I hope it never dies.
Sleep dreams,
Nadalie
Erica @Black Bloggers Network says
Thanks for the tips! Not hitting snooze is going to be difficult for me, but you made such a good argument that I’m going to give it a try. I’ll keep you posted on how waking up at the actual time that I set works for me!
Nadalie says
Hey beauty,
Yes, let me know how it goes. I’m really trying to also go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time every day. Which, usually works for me but like that one day where I have to wake up SUPER early basically nuked me for like 3 days. It’s so rough.
Good luck,
Nadalie
jhilmil says
Ahh.. a much needed post, need to sleep well now:)
Nadalie says
Hey Jhilmil,
Get to bed! Enjoy that sleep,
Nadalie
ejnosillA/RedefiningHERstory says
Yes… this is what I needed. I oftentimes try to make myself go to sleep and find myself staying awake all night. I am going to use some of your advice to see if that will help me with my restless sleeping. Thanks for sharing and Stay Blessed Queen ~ejnosillA
Nadalie says
Hello!
Right, like we know we should get good sleep, but it’s nice when someone else tells you.
Best of luck sleeping well tonight,
Nadalie
angie says
I so need to change my habits to get a better sleep thanks for the awesome tips.
Nadalie says
Hey Angie,
Good luck rebooting your sleep routine. It’s so worth it.
– Nadalie
Jana says
This is just made for me. Such a good read. I will definitely make some changes to help me with my sleep and waking up in the morning. Thank you for sharing.
Nadalie says
Hello Jana,
It was made with you in mind! So happy you found it.
Enjoy the sleep,
Nadalie
Sarah says
I’m SUPER guilty of being a snooze button addict and constantly looking at my phone in bed. I get enough hours of sleep but it’s never good quality. Makes me wonder how much more productive I’d be if I put down the phone and the caffeine and just went to sleep…
xoxo, Sarah
Nadalie says
Hey Sarah,
It’s just so fun to hit that button, right!
Wishing you some deep slumber tonight,
Nadalie
Deepa says
These are some great tips and I am showing them to my hubby right now as he suffers from insomnia.
Nadalie says
Hey Deepa,
Yay, spread the sleeping. Hope these help, I get insomnia sometimes too. Usually when my brain is just too overwhelmed or excited.
Thanks for stopping by,
Nadalie
Elena says
I have a huge problem having a good night sleep. My hubby snores so he wakes me up many times during the night. These are great tips and I will try to incorporate some of them though.
Nadalie says
Hi Elena,
Oh no. Snoring is rough, especially on those who have to listen. Time to buy some serious ear plugs!
Wishing you quiet sleep time,
Nadalie
Quirky Engineer says
These are such great tips! I definitely do not sleep well since I’m usually working or rushing to get work done and sleep is the first thing that’s sacrificed. Thanks for highlighting that it’s super important to take care of your sleep and the multiple things it affects silently!
Nadalie says
Hello,
Yay, so glad you enjoyed these tips.
It’s so true, I’m the same way. It’s always that debate, stay up and get it done or sleep and do it in the morning. Sleeping is the healthy choice for sure.
Ola says
If i can’t fall asleep or if I can’t stay asleep, I get up and do something that doesn’t require much effort for 30 mins. . Then went I go to bed I usually fall right to sleep.
Nadalie says
Hey Ola,
That’s a great way to handle it. Laying there for hours doing nothing doesn’t help much does it?
Eileen Burns says
Nice tips practical tips. I used to teach sleep therapy with included some nice muscle relaxation techniques
Nadalie says
Hey Eillen,
I’m all about the practical. Ohh, that also sounds quite pleasant.
Thanks for your tip,
Nadalie
Miranda Nahmias says
I love these tips! Another way I help myself sleep is by letting go of my work by 8pm each night. Otherwise, I would just keep on working and before I know it, it would be midnight, and I’m still wide awake.
Nadalie says
Hello Miranda,
YAY! I am so pleased you find them helpful.
Oh my, I love that, I wish I could. As much as I’d like to take my own advice, I usually just work so much I pass out easily lol.
Haytham Bhalo says
This is a very well researched article. On getting comfortable, it is not just the bedding but also what you wear to bed. Dressing into very comfortable pj’s helps a great deal!
Nadalie says
Hey Haytham,
OHHH – that’s so true! I love that, I didn’t even remember to mention jammies.
Thanks for your tip,
Nadalie
Jennifer Lizee | The Sadness Monster says
Wow, there’s a lot of great info here! I had no idea about #5 and #6, #5 is one that I’m particularly bad for sometimes, but now I know that, as usual, routine is key to being more healthy. Thanks so much for sharing.
Nadalie says
Hey Jennifer,
Wow indeed! Right, I was shocked too when I read that, who knew it was actually making your sleep worst.
Happy sleeping,
Nadalie
Anh Thu says
loved this post! it’s interesting that you said to workout in the evening time! i always think it’s going to give me more energy and stay awake but i do always sleep well!
Nadalie says
Yay, so happy you loved it Anh!!
I think it’s both, plus with work and stuff, it’s hard for some people to get in their exercise earlier in the day.
Happy sleeping,
Nadalie
Arfa Nazeer says
Hi Aqib and Nadalie,
I can see how many people are troubling with poor sleep disorders and how better sleeping can make us more productive at work. I loved the last tip! And, I often do that. I have tried several times to force myself to sleep at fixed hours but I fail.
Arfa
Nadalie says
Hey Afra,
Girl I fail too! I’m the worst. I’ll be good for maybe a week and of course, something happens where I have to get up WAY earlier than usual and I’m done for days. Takes me soo long to recover and get back on track.
Happy sleeping,
Nadalie
Alex says
Thank you for the very interesting and useful tips! Good article 🙂
Nadalie says
Hey Alex, so glad you found it useful!
Jay Colby says
These are great tips, because sleeping is so important to all aspects of our lives.
Nadalie says
Hey Jay,
It really is, we would literally fall apart and probably go crazy without it.
Sleep tight,
Nadalie
Jessica F. Walker || Millennial Life Skills Coach says
I have a funny story to share. The other day, I decided I was going to re-start my practice of meditating before bed. So I lay down, I turn on my chants, and I start unwinding.
And then I got an idea. It was a brilliant idea. And I had to write it out immediately.
Which took two hours. because once it started flowing, it just wouldn’t stop!
I spent the rest of the night, alternately kicking myself for trying to meditate, and coming up with more ideas to fill out the original outline. Needless to say, I was exhausted the next morning.
Lesson learned here: Meditate in the morning!
Nadalie says
Hey Jessica,
HAHAHA! That’s a great story.
It’s always a great time to meditate. I think there are two types (if not more than 2) of meditation. The one that clears your mind, actively shut down and push thoughts away vs. the one the births ideas where you just get clarity of ideas.
Must have been an amazing idea to keep you up!
Later boo,
Nadalie
Nikia says
I’m a night owl so I’m always looking for a way to sleep better and early. Thanks for the tips
Nadalie says
Hey Nikia,
Me too! No matter what I do I just can’t sleep early. So, I try to just sleep well.
Delphine says
I fall asleep quite easily but I wake up really early. I find that reading before turning out the lights helps me relax and put me in the mood for sleep.
Nadalie says
Hey Delphine,
Oh wish I could sleep early. Somehow unless it’s the wee hours of the am, I’m just not able to go sleepy.
Mood lighting is everything!
Kathryn says
This article has so many good tips in it!!! I 100% agree that this stuff WORKS!!!
Nadalie says
Hey Kathryn,
One can never have too many ways to help them sleep, right!
– Nadalie
Brooke says
I am the worst about hitting the snooze! haha thanks for these great tips 🙂
Nadalie says
Hey Brooke,
Hitting snooze is great, but not so great for you.
Happy sleeping,
Nadalie
anne -onedeterminedlife says
I have sleep problems and one of the things that helps me is having the right pillow. It’s amazing how just one change made such a bog impact on my sleep.
Nadalie says
Hey Anne,
Oh yes yes. Pillow is everything! I’m one of those people who cannot sleep on a fluffy pillow. My pillow is so flat I might as well not even use it.
Happy sleeping,
Nadalie
Meryland Cuevas says
This was a really good read! I needed this. I am one of those that sleep very little hours and try to catch up on the weekends! and I hit the snooze button all the time! boy I have to do some changes 🙂
Nadalie says
Hello Meryland,
Yay, you made my day, I am so happy it was just what you needed.
No more snoozing,
Nadalie
Kent Caylor says
Hey Nadalie,
I’m a registered sleep technologist and appreciate you getting information out to people.
Blessings…Kent
Nadalie says
Hey Kent,
My pleasure! Everyone needs great sleep.
Thanks,
Nadalie
Lily He-Prudhomme says
My ex use to take a pill made from a hemp plant (like marijuana) because he had a high stress corporate job and needed his sleep. I was surprised they even make those!
I can’t sleep if I’m hungry or thirsty so I keep snacks close by like a piggie! 🙂
Nadalie Bardo says
Hey Lily,
WOW, I’ve never heard of that before, but I guess I’m not surprised they make loads of products out of hemp. I suppose it makes sense that it helps you sleep.
Hahaha, me neither. I usually eat them pass out haha. No judgement,
Nadalie