Believe me, this article has long been due. I went over to a friend’s and had this photograph of me taken when I woke up. It wasn’t planned funny enough. If you know me too well, you would know that I don’t joke with my sleep.

I must confess, in the past I was so in love with my bed, but that was lazy and also not good for my health because I had regular headaches.

A new strategy had to be put in place. I still value my rest time but I do that with caution now. I try to ensure that I rest well and still wake up early for my daily activities. Everything should be done in the right proportion it goes to show.

I have heard people say that successful people don’t sleep and while that may be true for some, we still have other notable people that say that they ensure to have a well-deserved rest.  I will rather go along with those ones, after all, what do you expect?

Also, facts show that sleep is way too important for sound health and cognitive behavior so why would I want to deprive myself of that? When I was shown this picture of me, my friend said to me:

“Zinny, you need to share this picture!”

Oh yes, she was indeed right, but what better way to share it than to also share with you tips that can help you manage sleeping disorder if you have this challenge? If you are reading this, you are probably not getting enough sleep and you most likely spend so much time even after work hours trying to get work done.

The good news is that you are not alone, at least from several studies.

According to Jeffrey Preston “Jeff” Bezos, American technology entrepreneur and investor who has also played a role in the growth of e-commerce as the founder and CEO of Amazon:

“I’m more alert and I think more clearly. I just feel so much better all day long if I’ve had eight hours.”

He was reported saying this in 1999, as a 35-year-old. It’s always been a habit I suppose, and I was thrilled to discover this.

Please note that from recent research, you need at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep for younger adults between the ages of 18-25 and adults between 26 to 64.  However, you might be wondering how much sleep you need to survive, for a night or when pregnant, etc. Read this article to discover how much sleep you need.

If you conduct more research you will discover that some other entrepreneurs and celebrities also support the idea of having enough rest. So, I certainly believe that you can sleep well and still be successful at your job or whatever you put your mind to.

I also like this quote by Arianna Huffington, co-founder, and Editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post:

“The way to a more productive, more inspired, more joyful life is getting enough sleep.”

If you think that you deserve to have more rest then you can go along with a few suggestions below.

  1. Avoid stress

It’s understandable to feel stressed out with your workload and deadlines you have to meet at work. But there are ways to manage stress. You can read this article on 11 tips for managing stress. Stress makes it harder for you to sleep and once you can effectively deal with stress you should be able to sleep better.

  1. Try to sleep around the same time every day

If you find it difficult to get at least 7 hours of sleep in a day then you can make it a conscious effort to sleep around the same time every day. This will help with consistency and sooner than you think, you will start waking up even without your alarm ringing. I know right?

  1. Plan

Before your day at work begins, be certain of your workload and things you need to do before the close of business day. Then take out time to set time frame to each task. This will help prevent you from taking work home and give you enough rest time.

This is basic time management skills but this time around it will help your personal development and also help you get better sleep.

  1. Food and Drink

Try to avoid alcohol, caffeine and a heavy meal before bedtime.  Alcohol may make it difficult for you to sleep. Caffeine may prevent you from sleeping even up to 10 or 12 hours after drinking it.

Do not take too much water or liquids before going to bed to avoid several trips to the washroom. Some people find it difficult to continue sleeping once they are up, so please keep this in mind. Also, try to avoid spicy food before bedtime to prevent any form of stomach upset.

I know that for some people, a night time snack may help put you to bed. if this is you, eat something light.

  1. Relax

A late night warm bath sure puts me to sleep. It’s like a ritual, it eases me up. I think you should try it too as it may also work for you. You may also listen to soft music with the lights out. Also, try to sort out the clothes you will wear to work the next day, food for work and your bag (containing documents and personal belongings, if any) early enough.

This way, you will sleep knowing that everything is set for the next day. This will give you some form of relaxation.

Do you think I left anything out? How do you try to go to bed? One thing is for certain, if you sleep better, you will wake up refreshed and creative. You will be productive for the rest of the day. It’s even better when you stick to a routine, sleep early and wake up early because you will start the day energized. Will you develop a good sleeping habit if you don’t have one?

I think it’s about time I grew my nails too. *wink* You may also love this article on 7 tips to achieving work-life balance.

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Photo Credit: Allen Obayagbona: @Obaallen

by Zinny
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