PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
The Business Bulletin
Simple ways to improve your sleep and be more productive In the business world, there is a lot of stress and worry occupying our thoughts. With this stress comes poor sleeping habits, which in turn lowers productivity and can affect both physical and mental health.
In order to be productive, motivated,
things you can do to improve the
and happy, how do we ensure that
quality of your sleep. This involves
sleep, the deepest and most
we are getting adequate sleep?
maintaining a consistent bedtime
rejuvenating stage of the sleep cycle.
When our son was born, I was reminded how important sleep was as I was getting about 4 hours, if that,
and getting up at the same time
Caffeine can also disrupt REM
Having some coffee at 4 p.m. to
each day, including on the weekends.
keep you going in the early evening
At first, it could feel difficult, but
is hard to resist, but if you can, try a
a night. I quickly hit burnout and
in the long term, it will prove to be
glass of water or some cordial and
had to find ways to get back some of
worthwhile. It helps to maintain the
hang in there.
those “Zs”.
body’s natural sleep rhythm, which
This article is the result of two years of experimentation. To be clear, these tips are based on my own experiences, and you should do what works best for you! This isn’t medical advice, please do your due diligence. If you’re having
in turn makes it simpler to get to sleep and stay asleep throughout the night. I go to bed at 9pm, I am up for 5am. This also allows an hour toddler if needed if he wakes up.
The body’s normal sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm, is regulated by
it’s jeopardising your health, you
When it comes to your sleep, caffeine
should seek immediate medical and
is a powerful stimulant. While it’s
professional advice.
fine to have a cup of coffee in the morning, unfortunately you may want to avoid it at the end of the day. Caffeine can linger in your system for up to six hours, making it difficult to
Maintaining a regular bedtime
fall asleep at night if consumed in the
routine is one of the most helpful
afternoon or evening.
44 | Issue 20
ready to conquer the evening routine.
Soak in those rays
trouble sleeping to the point where
Create a schedule
wake me up in the late afternoon
in the night for me to comfort our
Reduce caffeine
Here goes:
Personally, I find a brisk walk helps
adequate daylight exposure. (I’m sure it’s real because I read it on the internet). Increased daytime light exposure has been found in studies to aid nighttime sleep. So, if you’re having trouble sleeping at night, try spending more time outside during the daytime hours. I found it harder to do so during winter. For me, a SAD lamp was the
