How I Fixed My Sleep (and Started Making Better Decisions)

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My entire job is making decisions. If I want to make good ones, I need sleep. Here’s how I make sure I get it…

Cut the Lights

When evening rolls around, it’s all about winding down.

One of the best ways to do that is to lower the lights. Come evening, I only have dim lights on. This helps me relax.

When it’s time to go to sleep, I go even further.

I have a wonderful eye mask that blocks almost all light. This makes falling and staying asleep much easier.

I’ve tried quite a few eye masks, including a fancy $40 one from Manta Sleep. But this $10 one from Amazon is my favorite.

Showering Japanese Style

Every night, I like to take a nice hot shower.

I picked up this habit in Japan. Most Americans shower in the morning, but Japanese usually shower at night.

Showering at night helps promote sleep. It’s also nice to be super clean before you lay down!

Winding Down

After my shower, I like to put on a little mindless TV.

I’ve tried reading before sleep, but reading makes me too mentally active. I’m trying to shut my brain down, not ramp it up.

Some people say to avoid screens before sleep. But for me, it’s what I’m doing with the screen that matters.

Avoiding social media is definitely a good idea. It’s too interactive.

But mindless TV is perfect.

Lately, I’ve been enjoying 90 Day Fiancé. It doesn’t get much more mindless than that!

Soon, I find myself nodding off.

Different things work for different people. If reading a novel before bed helps you fall asleep, by all means do that!

Bedroom Is for Sleep

I’ve finally watched enough 90 Day Fiancé, and it’s time to hit the rack.

When I lay down at night, I want to feel relaxed. Part of that is associating my bedroom with sleep.

So I never, ever work in my bedroom. Not a single Zoom call or e-mail ever happens there.

When I come into the bedroom, I want to be thinking about drifting off to dreamland. 😴

The 8 Hour Sleep Opportunity

I almost always leave eight hours for sleep.

Once in a while, I’ll find myself rolling around. But usually, I’m out like a light.

Everyone sleeps fitfully from time to time. The key is to give yourself enough time to sleep.

Try your best to allot eight hours a day. If you make the time to sleep, sleep will come eventually.

Wrap-Up

I used to only sleep about four hours a night. But for the last six years, I’ve been making sleep a top priority.

The quality of my work has gone through the roof.

I know it’s hard to find the time for sleep when you’re running a company. But you’ll do a better job when you’re healthy and well-rested.

Pick one thing from this post and try it tonight — dim lights, hot shower, or banning work from the bedroom. Then let me know how it goes!

Tremendous