Sure, you know you should be getting a good 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. But we live in a busy world of work, family, self-care priorities, and countless distractions. It’s all too easy to talk yourself into skipping sleep for other needs in your life.
Prioritize your rest as much as you would a good workout or a healthy meal! After all, it’s just as important to your health. Here are some best practices to help you preserve your precious sleep time.
Make a Sleep Schedule
- Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. Yes, even weekends. This will let your body get into a natural rhythm. Aim for a full 7 to 9 hours each night.
Make It Consistent
- It’s common to think of sleep as something you can “make up.” But human bodies aren’t like bank accounts; we can’t make withdrawals and deposits whenever we want. We need plenty of rest as consistently as possible.
Limit Distractions
- Give your devices a rest! Texts, TV shows, games, and funny cat videos will all be there for you the next day. Set a bedtime alert on your phone or stick a note to your TV reminding you of your bedtime ― and theirs.
Ask for Help
- Overwhelmed with to-do lists? Delegate! Ask your kids to help wash dishes or enlist your partner for evening chores. See if a coworker can share the load on a big deadline. That way you don’t have to stay up late finishing other tasks.
Accept the Unexpected
- Interruptions and sleepless nights will come up from time to time. When they do, don’t dwell on your frustration ― that stress can make it even harder to get back into your sleep rhythm. Just accept the interruption, think of it as a temporary lapse, and try again for better sleep the next night.
- If these interruptions end up becoming a trend, think of what you can do to change the pattern and make it work for you.
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