If you’re anything like me there’s a very high chance that you love to sleep. I’m talking about that “get in bed at the end of a long day and snuggle up under your covers not to wake up until 10 a.m.” kind of sleep. But as much as we may aspire for that perfect eight to ten-hour ratio and effortless sleep schedule, it’s not always realistic. As remote work blurs the boundaries between work and home you may find yourself staying up later than usual to send one last email just to get up early in the morning to take care of your family and get right back to work exhausted and unrested.
The Sleep Foundation recommends seven to nine hours of sleep for adults and says that those who don’t get near that amount often have difficulty focusing and are more likely to make errors in their work. The Foundation also found that this fatigue can cause employers around $1,967 annually per employee, meaning that your drowsiness actually makes your business lose money.
In order to avoid not getting enough sleep here are some tactics you can take:
- Stop using social media 30 minutes to an hour before you go to bed — opt for reading a book instead!
- Try to go to bed at around the same time every night — this will help your body’s sleep schedule become more regular
- Take a doctor-recommend sleep aid or melatonin on nights where you’re feeling particularly wired
- Set a time at night where no matter what you’re doing you have to be done with work
- Listen to a sleep meditation (Headspace is a great app for this) as you’re trying to fall asleep
- If you’re having serious sleep ailments like insomnia talk to your doctor
Setting boundaries between home and work and prioritizing your sleep will only improve the work you’re doing. Who doesn’t want that?
