As more people work from home, finding a balance between work and personal life can be difficult, especially when getting enough sleep.
To help you as remote workers stay healthy and productive, here are 9 proven tips and practices that can improve your sleep habits.
1. Establish a Consistent Sleep Schedule
I know you have probably heard this thousands of times, but hear me out one more time. 😁
While everyone (both remote and on-site workers) needs to have a consistent sleep schedule, it can be extra challenging for remote workers because you don't have the traditional work resumption and closing times to remind you intuitively. This means you must create your resumption and closing times. Yep. For me, it looks something like 10 am to 8 pm.
You need to get creative if you work for a company in a different time zone [hopefully not for a long time] where your office hours fall during your sleep hours. This article outlines some helpful tips for you to explore.
As a remote worker, good sleep hygiene helps your body keep its natural rhythm, improving your sleep and making you more productive overall.
2. Exercise Regularly
Exercise can promote better sleep hygiene for remote workers. Find ways to incorporate a balance of cardiovascular and strength training exercises into your routine.
For starters, aim to:
Achieve around 10,000 steps daily. See the article on how to achieve this without leaving the house.
Challenge yourself to achieve 2.5k steps in a 15-minute walk four times daily.
3. Digital Detox Before Bedtime
Minimise phone and computer use before bed. Exposure to blue light from screens can deceive your brain into thinking it's still daytime and disrupt the natural onset of sleep.
Here are some strategies:
Set up your device settings that minimise blue light, commonly known as "night mode", to kick in 3 hours before bed automatically.
Aim to stop using electronic devices at least two hours before bedtime. I read to sleep, but if you prefer to watch movies, aim for 1 hour before bed.
4. Mindful Eating Habits
What you eat in the evening can heavily impact your sleep. Avoid heavy or large meals as they can cause discomfort and indigestion, making falling or staying asleep harder.
If you are hungry (not cravings) before bed, check out these tips on light but filling snack ideas when you are hungry at night.
5. Limit Stimulants
Drinking coffee or smoking cigarettes can make it harder to fall asleep, while drinking alcohol might make you feel sleepy at first, but it can prevent you from getting a good night's sleep.
Avoid caffeine or alcohol at least 6 hours before your bedtime. 🫣 If you have to drink alcohol at night, limit it to a day or two in the week. Something has got to give.
6. Workspace Separation
It's best to avoid working from your bed because it can make your brain think the bed is a place for staying alert instead of relaxing and sleeping. It's better to have a separate area for work and keep your bed just for sleeping and resting.
If your bedroom is spacious enough to accommodate a work desk, then go ahead and set it up. You may set it up in another room if you have additional space. Check this out for more creative ways to set up your work desk with limited space.
7. Ideal Sleep Environment
Room temperature significantly affects sleep quality. The recommended range is between 16 to 20°C.
But this can get tricky on our side of the world, where your room temperature directly correlates to your bank account balance. 😅
I recommend you experiment to see what works. E.g. using fans + less clothing + opening the window + ear plugs to block out extra noise till you find what works best with your reality. But know this...there are always options. 💯
8. Managing Stress and Anxiety
Nothing is worse than trying to sleep when life hits you hard. It is nearly impossible to relax enough to have a decent sleep. Life will happen, but you can respond differently by:
Journaling [digital or paper] to offload thoughts and worries.
Practicing mindfulness or meditation. This could be using the Relax feature on your Fitbit to regulate your breathing.
Engaging in calm activities such as reading or listening to music (but remember to avoid backlit screens).
9. Use of Sleep Aids
Depending on personal needs, consider sleep aids such as:
White noise machines to drown out disruptive sounds. If you can't afford a dedicated white noise machine, you can use the app on your phone, but decide what works best for you.
Earplugs like these
Fans that produce mist if you stay in a hot region.
By following these tips, you can set up healthy habits and boundaries to help you get good sleep as a remote worker. This is important for staying productive at work and feeling good in your personal life.
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