If you know us, you know we love a good TEDTalk. In fact, we have a whole series dedicated to TEDTalks that benefit people both in and out of the workplace. While browsing through some of our favorites, we stumbled upon a talk from Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington. Her talk analyzes how sleep impacts the success people have in their careers and the research is astonishing.
According to Arianna, sleep is one of the most important aspects of our performance at work and not getting enough of it can be detrimental to our ability to succeed. We have all heard that a solid eight hours of sleep is the perfect way to set yourself up for a successful day. However, over a third of Americans are getting less than seven hours a night even knowing the value that sleep brings to them. So, what is causing people to skip the shut eye?
We currently live in a society that pushes to do more, go further, and try harder. The common mentality is that people are more likely to succeed if they skimp on sleep. Ever hear the phrase “I will sleep when I’m dead?” That mindset comes from the constant pressure to do more work, study harder, and out-perform those around us. The irony is that pulling an all-nighter will not help you succeed. Instead, you should be creating healthy habits that put you mind to rest and you asleep earlier.
Here are a few tips to help you get a good night of sleep:
SET A BEDTIME
It may seem juvenile to schedule a bedtime for yourself, but doing so will keep you mindful of your time throughout the night. This can also create a habit of going to bed at a reasonable hour as your body will begin to adjust and send you sleep signals around this time each night.
NO PHONES
Put your phone on airplane mode at least 30 minutes before you go to bed. If possible, keep your phone away from your bed altogether. It will deter you from using it before you snooze & will push you to get out of bed when your first alarm goes off in the morning.
MINIMIZE CAFFEINE
We know how tempting it is to grab an afternoon latte to push you through the last half of your day, but consuming caffeine anywhere from 6-8 hours before bedtime can seriously disrupt your sleep. Instead, try to take a short walk or grab a decaf instead.
SLEEP SUPPLEMENTS
If you are struggling to keep your eyes shut at your newly scheduled bedtime, try to introduce a natural sleep supplement like melatonin. This sleep hormone will help trigger your brain to relax and can even treat cases of insomnia.
SET THE MOOD
The environment you sleep in has a bigger impact on your quality of sleep than you might think. Turn off the lights, set the thermostat to 70 degrees and minimize background noise (yes, we’re talking about your TV) in order to get most from your sleep.
We want to know! What are some of your favorite tips for a good night of sleep? Tell us in the comments below!