One simple change that can improve your sleep
After tracking 6 billion hours of sleep Fitbit has found one simple change that can improve your sleep
Everyone knows they need more sleep. Most workers admit they would be better employees if they managed to get nighttime rest according to a survey by Glassdoor. Industry leaders like Jeff Bezos, Sheryl Sandberg and Bill Gates preach the benefits of improving sleep to increase productivity, efficiency and creativity. Even though it seems like there aren’t enough hours in the day and juggling responsibilities at home and work make a good night’s rest feel out of reach, there is one simple change you can make to start improving the quality of your sleep.
Go to bed at the same time every night.
Consistency is key. According to an analysis of the sleep habits of Fitbit users reported by Yahoo Finance, if your bedtime varies by two hours over the week, you’ll average a half hour of sleep a night less than someone whose bedtime varies by only 30 minutes. This was discovered by compiling data on six billion nights slept from customers wearing the company’s wristbands at night.
Staying up late on weekends and then jumping in bed early on Sunday nights to prepare for Monday morning is an example that can lead to poor rest. Karla Gleichauf, Fitbit data scientist, calls it “social jet lag.”
Experts agree that setting up a sleep routine can improve your rest. According to Dr Phillip Gehrman, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, most people need a good hour of winding down time before they’re physically and mentally ready to go to bed.
There are numerous activities that you can include in your sleep routine to calm yourself and prevent the thoughts of stress at work from popping into your mind at night. “Shark Tank: investor Daymond John reviews his goals every night before bed, Bill Gates reads for an hour and Oprah meditates twice each day. You can also try taking a bath, drawing or colouring, stretching or creating a diary listing down things you are grateful for. Daily exercise in the morning may also lead to better sleep at night.
Whatever you chose, make sure you enjoy it, and it suits your preferences. You’ll thank yourself for it tomorrow.
David Nguyen
As a Certified Online Trainer and Precision Nutrition Coach, David is committed to helping busy professionals build healthy habits that are the keys to success.