The phrase “I need more sleep!” will be one muttered by more than a few UK residents this week. Why? Because the clocks moved forwards an hour for British Summertime over the weekend. And many people lose an hour of rest when that happens.
So when Peter Kim forwarded me a copy of the infographic “You Need More Sleep” it was very timely indeed.
While the Infographic is U.S. focused, the principles are the same. Many of us are not getting enough sleep and as a result our day-to-day activities suffer.
Four top tips for a good night’s sleep
- Finish work well before bed-time and give yourself time to wind down from the working day. Turn off electronic devices and read a book or listen to music to relax
- Take a calcium tablet with a glass of water, and a teaspoonful of almond butter before bed. The calcium (just like the traditional glass of milk) will help you sleep well. And the almond butter will keep your blood sugar levels steady and help you awake refreshed
- Keep a pen and pad by the bedside. If you can’t get to sleep, or wake up in the middle of the night with things on your mind – jot them down. The act of getting things out of your head and onto paper is often enough to let you go back to sleep
- Invest in the iOS Sleep Cycle Alarm clock app for your iPhone or iPod, or a similar app for your mobile device and experiment with it to get an idea of when you should be waking up
Conclusion
In a 24/7, digital-heavy world, busy managed services owners need more and better rest in order to better support their clients. Hopefully, this article has shown you some easy ways to improve the quality of your sleep.
And ironically, technology can actually help you to sleep more – if you use it wisely! What techniques have you implemented to help you nod off and stay asleep? Let us know in the comments!
You Might Also be Interested in
- Why You Should Make Your Bed Every Day
- Podcast: Applying an Adventurous Mindset in Life and Work for Robust Mental Fitness
- Why Mental Health is a Key Pillar of Success for IT Businesses
Richard Tubb is one of the best-known experts within the global IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) community. He launched and sold his own MSP business before creating a leading MSP media and consultancy practice. Richard helps IT business owner’s take back control by freeing up their time and building a business that can run without them. He’s the author of the book “The IT Business Owner’s Survival Guide” and writer of the award-winning blog www.tubblog.co.uk
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Comments
5 thoughts on Why More Sleep Leads to Surprising Mental and Physical Benefits
JULES
26TH MARCH 2012 22:30:10
I think one thing may be missing and that's the mental health aspect... I have a rule of thumb of having 6-7 hours per night average over the week or I know my mental health suffers. High pressure / High stress doesn't help a fatigued brain. It's far more liable to break... And then what are you going to do?
RICHARD TUBB
26TH MARCH 2012 23:09:34
Jules - absolutely. I know that without my 8 hours kip, at best I'm off my game, at worst I can be *very* off my game!
STILL NOT SLEEPING « BIPOLAR: WRITING FOR THERAPY & MY LIFE
26TH MARCH 2012 23:50:07
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SIMON JOHNSON
3RD APRIL 2012 10:21:21
This should also be followed up by a decent breakfast, slow releasing energy from cereals and fruit!
RICHARD TUBB
3RD APRIL 2012 15:26:07
Very true Simon. And missing breakfast altogether is not a good idea!