How to improve sleep when WFH
Working from home definitely has its benefits but it also has cons. One of them being the inability to sleep and putting in place boundaries of when it’s time to work and when it’s time to relax. It can be hard, especially when you work, exercise, rest, sleep and have fun in the same four walls. So, as we have been Working From Home for the majority of our careers, we have thought about the best ways to ensure you can switch off from work and get a good nights slumber, in order to feel wide awake and productive the day after. Read on for our tips!
Limit your daily work hours
Taking too much one can lead to low-quality sleep, and in sufficient sleep can learn to burnout, which is not what we want. It might be tempting, every now and then, to pull an all-nighter or work longer hours on the days you have a lot more energy, but that mindset and outlook will eventually backfire with the worst case scenario being burnout. Try to figure out your idea work schedule and how many hours you would like to work each day, and then try to not exceed that. It’s important to have a good balance, so try and factor that in!
Create zones
Creating zones within your flat or house can be a game changed! Try to not take your job or work to bed, ideally you would need an office space with a desk, or the kitchen table would do, if you don’t have either of those then use a sofa but try to keep it out of the bedroom. The bedroom should be a place for relaxing, intimacy and sleeping.
Utilise the Do Not Disturb
On your phone you have the option to put your phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’ which can be super helpful if you keep getting distracted by social media notifications, text messages or phone calls and you have a lot of work you are wanting to get done. Switch that setting on, put a good playlist on and knuckle down and get that work done, Before you know, you’re finished and can catch up on family phone calls and whatever you missed on social media. Remember, social media isn’t go anyway so try to not leet it affect your productivity.
Avoid caffeine after 3pm
It’s no secret that too much caffeine can keep you up at night, and when you’re facing a deadline it can be so tempting to have coffee-after-coffee. But, did you know that consuming a double espresso three hours before your bedtime delays your circadian melatonin rhythm by an average of 40 minutes. Try to limit your intake of coffee and save it as a morning ritual or a post-lunch treat.
Create a sleep/wake schedule
As you’re working from home, you probably don’t have an external source that is forcing you to be in a regular routine but its important that you create one for yourself. Going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day is so important for your sleep. Regularly changing your sleep pattern can really affect your work, so aim for 7-9 hours per night (Some people need less, some need more). Figure out what time you need to be up by, and work backwards to know what time you want to be asleep by, and then you can work out your pre-sleep ritual.
Take a warm bath or shower before bed
Hot water dilates your blood vessels, which improves your skins ability to lose excess heat, which helps your body reduce it’s core temperate, which is key to falling asleep easily. You’ve probably all noticed how when you have a warm bubble bath, as soon as you get out you feel sleepy and ready to drift off. A shower can have the same affect. Experiment and see what works best for you - try to limit baths to 2-3 times a week due to the amount of water used!
Write a to- do list for the following day
Writing "to do" lists the night before can really help organise your thoughts and help you focus the following day. It’s always nice waking up in the morning knowing you don’t even have to think about what you need to do, as past you had your back!
Read
Indulge in reading a book once you get into bed, it helps you zone out, relax and will help calm your mind down and get you focused on something else. Theres nothing better than crawling into bed after a lovely bath and then reading your favourite book for 20 minutes before drifting off to sleep.
Meditate
There are so many types of meditations you can practise, it’s good to experiment to see what style works best for you. But, if you’re having trouble sleeping, or falling to sleep, it might be worth trying to meditate before you sleep. There’s countless articles, blogs, yogis etc who will tell you the many many benefits to doing this. Even taking a big deep inhale through your nose and then letting it all out can instantly relax you and switch you into a ‘Ok, it’s time to sleep’ mindset. Give it a go!
Avoid Screen Time Use
You’ve probably heard this a million times, but light-emitting devices really impact your sleep, in a bad way, as it affects the duration and quality. Try and avoid working too late on your computer or laptop, and avoid going on your phone for atleast one hour before bed. If you really do need to look at a screen, try wearing blue light-blocking glasses. These can also help with tension headaches. In relation to this, exposure to natural sunlight first thing in the morning can help your circadian rhythm and quality of sleep, so be sure to get some sun first thing!
Invest in a comfy bed
Sometimes, it really can come down to your uncomfortable mattress or squeaky bed frame that is messing with your sleep. Why not bite the bullet and invest in a new bed or mattress? At Happy Beds, it’s easier and more affordable than you may think. Whether you think you'll need firm support or something that will mould to your body, Happy Beds are sure to have a mattress that's right for you. Shop their range of beds and mattresses at: https://www.happybeds.co.uk/
Let us know what works for you! Good luck, NN xx