Sleeping Well In a Busy World

We all have busy lives.  That is just a part of modern life.  However, those of us in the develpreneur world can have it even worse.  Sleeping well can be quite a challenge when you are facing deadlines and always trying to push for that next goal.  Nevertheless, sleep is a critical factor in health and even long-term productivity so let's look at ways to get some rest without sacrificing productivity. Sleeping Well Vs. Sleep Hacking Sleep hacking is a popular topic among those that value productivity and squeezing everything they can out of life.  The downside is that the goal of sleep hacking is finding ways to limit our downtime instead of maximizing it.  Over time this focus may lead to health issues and even a loss of productivity we are not aware of.  Just as drunk people are not always aware of how much they are impaired, sleep-deprived individuals can be the same.  We discuss the hacking options and how they can be effective, but a better goal is sleeping well when we do. Nature Always Finds Rhythm Sleep is best done within our personal rhythm just as any other activity we pursue.  Thus each of us has differing needs for sleep and reacts differently to disruptions in our schedule.  The key phrase here is "disruptions in our schedule."  We each have a schedule for sleep that we fall into if we allow it.  This is a schedule we can change and break, but doing so limits the impact of what rest we do get.  This concept is where we find "morning people", "Night Owls", and other patterns of work that are based on our sleep rhythms.  Instead of hacking our sleep to reclaim time, we should focus on finding out what our needs are and what schedule is best for us. Keep It Simple There are a lot of sleep hacks and ideas that are a stretch and maybe even unhealthy.  However, there are also a lot of scientific hacks that we can try.  Start with these simple hacks like reducing light while you sleep, putting away the phone, and avoiding caffeine in the evening.  These simple and healthy changes to your habits can make an impact for more valuable than some ways to survive sleep deprivation.  You might even find that changing up your schedule to a 40-50 hour week to make room for more sleep or rest leads to more overall accomplishments.