Major news alert! So many of your daily productivity struggles could come down to one improved habit: an earlier bedtime.
Recently, The Thirty dug into the science of sleep to find out exactly how hacking your bedtime can actually change how well you process information, complete your work and overall, have a successful day.
Whilst our sleeping patterns and quality of sleep have a lot to do with many different factors (some are genetic, and largely out of our control) – more and more research supports the theory that an earlier bedtime can seriously help improve mental health (no surprises there).
As a 2015 study discovers, night owls are largely more likely to have negative thoughts throughout the day when compared to people with early wake-up times.
In fact, as The Thirty notes, a Japanese study even showed that those who went to sleep later in the evening had more depressive symptoms than those who chose to head to bed earlier.
But, as Harvard researchers will show you, it’s not as much about just going to bed early, it’s also about staying consistent with your habits.
Researchers looked at 61 study participants and determined that, independent of their actual bedtime, those people who went to bed and woke up at the same time each day were more productive than those people whose bedtimes changed on a daily basis.
That means no matter what time you choose to head to bed — be it 10 p.m. or 1 a.m. — as long as you stick to it for a minimum of an expert-recommended 10 days, you can alter your habits for the better.
So what should your ideal bedtime be? It’s really quite simple. Take your desired bedtime, subtract seven to eight hours, and factor in about 15 minutes to actually fall asleep. And there you have it, happy snoozing!
Want to improve your sleep habits and hit the hay earlier? Use our tips to help you fall asleep fast and enjoy the next-day benefits!
