Prepare For A Good Night’s Sleep

There are days I wake up fully energized and rearing to get to the affairs of the day, and there are days when I wake up feeling sluggish and low on energy.

I have wondered why this is so and have tried to look for any common factors that lead up to days when I feel sluggish.

Three factors stand out for me.

1. The way I feel in the morning has to do with how good my sleep is.
2. The quality of my sleep has a lot to do with what happens before I hit my bed the previous night. 
3. The number of hours of sleep does not determine the quality of my sleep.  

The Hour Before You Sleep

On most days, I spend the last couple of hours of the day, writing my Blog. It is a period full of focus. After I finish publishing the Blog, I feel good at completing an important task for the day. My mind is also buzzing with positive energy as my Blog is about growth and development.

 I then freshen up and hit the bed with a sense of gratitude for being able to write and share my thoughts. My sleep on such days is very good.

However, there are days when I have some free time in the evening, and rather than waiting, I write and publish my Blog early. I then spend the free time I earn myself in one of two ways.

1. Indulge myself in the night watching(unplanned) some Streaming Shows which go on for a couple of hours OR
2. I spend time on some work-related matters, emails, proposals, etc.

Unfortunately, on such days, my sleep quality is low.

Watching TV shows, Social Media, or Work just before we sleep keeps our subconscious active. It does not get a chance to disconnect and relax. So even when we sleep, our subconscious is still involved with the previous night’s inputs. This results in the sleep being disturbed.

Prepare To Go To Sleep

The best way to avoid waking up feeling sluggish, anxious, or stressed is by preparing for a good sleep the previous night.

1. Stop working at least half an hour before going to sleep. I ensure I don’t access my laptop or my smartphone (it is a battle some days not to touch my mobile phone, but I manage!!)
2. Even if I give in to the indulgence of watching some TV shows, I make sure that I don’t hit the bed immediately after. I spend at least a half-hour in silent contemplation to unwind and disconnect before I hit the bed.
3. When I do this, it does not matter how late I sleep or how little sleep I get, I wake up feeling fresh.

Start Your Day With A Morning Ritual

When your sleep is good, your wakeful moments are generally good. The body feels rested.

I ensure my mobile phone is not with me when I wake up. To avoid any sort of indulgence, I put it for charging in another room.

When I wake up, I spend 5 min saying my prayers, reflect on what I want to do for the day. I visualize what I want the day to look like and invoke a sense of gratitude for the good in my life.

I freshen up and spend 15 minutes doing some stretches and energizing my body. While doing this, I focus on my intention for the day. I then get to my Daily Bullet Journal and spend 10 minutes reviewing my tasks and plans for the day.

The first 30 minutes is a critical period for my morning rituals, and it does not change.

Preparing for a good night’s sleep and having a good morning ritual helps me start my day full of energy and feeling positive.

Tim Ferris, best known for his book “The Four Hour Work Week,” says it well- Win your morning and win your day !!