You’ve probably had your share of sleepless nights worrying about your career or the fate of your business, especially during the harder times. But losing sleep is unlikely to help you improve your game or make you a better leader or team member.
To make the most out of your days, you’ll need to be intentional about getting a good night’s sleep. But here’s the thing: It doesn’t begin when you crawl into bed and start fluffing your pillow, trying to get comfortable and get your mind to stop racing through all the things you need to do. Getting a good night’s sleep actually starts long before bedtime.
Below, 15 members of Young Entrepreneur Council share some of the ways you can make sure you get the rest you need and recharge, especially when facing busy days ahead.
1. Do Some Light Stretches
Many times, after a long day of sitting at a desk, I’ll notice my posture isn’t great. To fix this I’ll do some light stretches before bed. Just some basic yoga moves to get my body back in alignment and feel refreshed in the morning. – Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner
2. Get One Major Thing Done, Every Day
The key to a good night’s rest is having the ability to quiet the mind. Being flooded with thoughts of what needs to be done and what did not get done can literally drive a person out of the bed and back to work. There are more than likely only one or two major tasks you need to do on a daily basis to succeed. Get those done and be satisfied with your decision to do so. Then it’s off to sleep. – Jason Criddle, Jason Criddle and Associates
3. Keep a Journal
There is something about getting all of your thoughts out on paper before shutting off. All of the questions that may normally come to mind that keep you from sleeping will all be answered as you write your thoughts down. It will help quiet your mind and resolve any unfinished thoughts from the day. It’s a great way to close busy days and get ready for a good night’s sleep. – Adelaida Diaz-Roa, Nomo FOMO
4. Set Limits
Set a time a few hours before you go to sleep when you’ll no longer constantly check your smartphone or get on your personal computer. It can be difficult to get the rest you need when you’re looking at various electronic screens from the time you wake up until you hit the sack. – Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance
5. Be Consistent With Your Routine
We all know how difficult it can be to have a consistent schedule, especially as a founder or entrepreneur. I do think it is incredibly valuable to create a nightly schedule and to stick to it consistently. This schedule will help you clear your mind faster and fall asleep quicker. You’ll wake up fresh and ready to solve some big problems. – Andrew Saladino, Kitchen Cabinet Kings
6. Create Your Self-Care Ritual
Self-care is different for everyone — by knowing how you specifically recharge your batteries, you can create a short and long routine for nights you have an unknown amount of time. What’s your five-minute self-care? How about your 60-minute? Make sure you have both. By creating your spectrum, you can be flexible within those parameters and adjust when needed! – Jen Brown, The Engaging Educator
7. Take a Warm Bath
Take a warm water bath or shower around 15 to 30 minutes before bedtime, and you will hit the sack more relaxed. Regular warm water baths can get your body clock to identify that the day has come to a close and it’s time to unwind. Make sure the water is warm, not hot, because the former is more conducive in getting the body to relax. Aromatherapy oils and soothing music add to the experience. – Derek Robinson, Top Notch Dezigns
8. Distract Yourself
I think this is one of the single largest challenges for most entrepreneurs. Our minds are always racing 100 mph — especially when it’s bedtime — going over ideas, plans or excitement. Even though it’s supposed to be a no-no before bed, I like to watch TV, it gets my mind off of things, and puts me in a less serious mood. Also, it’s a good idea to force yourself to bed by a certain time. – Scott Levy, Fuel Online
9. Put Your Phone on Airplane Mode
A good way to recharge is to shut down your phone. As an entrepreneur, I constantly check my phone. It got so bad that I’d wake up at night to check my email. When you are always connected, you become more disconnected with yourself. My solution is to put my phone on airplane mode an hour before I want to go to bed. This gives me time to unwind, meditate and recharge my own battery. Try it! – Hadari Oshri, Xehar
10. Reflect at the End of a Long Day
At around 11 p.m. or so, I unplug from my phones and gadgets and take the time to reflect on the events of the day. This is when my mind is usually relaxed. This is also the time when the best and most creative ideas just come to mind. If I have an issue at the office that seems very complicated, I just let it stew for a while. When night comes, I usually get to determine the best solutions. – Adam Cronenberg, A1 Garage Door Service
11. Try Hypnosis
Being in the apparel industry, my brain is constantly running. I would for years be exhausted because I was waking up several times in the night with ideas. When I need a solid night’s slumber, I actually listen to sleep hypnosis. It really works in shutting down my brain for the night and then waking up refreshed, energized and ready to take on the world. – Dalia MacPhee, DALIA MACPHEE
12. Fight the Urge to Do It All
Pretending to be supermen or superwomen is a great way to add unnecessary stress in your life. Develop a habit of saying “no” to plans or people when you don’t have the full energy to be present. I’ve noticed that if I sleep less than six hours, I’m essentially a zombie and hurt my team the following day. Before a big day or meeting, always choose self-care. – Krish Chopra, Nurse Practitioner Clinical Rotations
13. Revisit the Day
Before I fall asleep, I’ve found it helpful to close my eyes and revisit specific things about my day, versus recapping all the issues that may have arisen. Instead I choose to think about the three things I’m grateful for that day, three things that inspired me and three things that I’m looking forward to tomorrow. It’s a mental shift, a relaxation tool, and a great way to move away from negative thoughts. – Jarred King, Swagger
14. Read a Book
Your abundance of work should never be more important than your health. That said, the allure of more work may continue to draw you back in. To step away completely, put a daily or nightly reading time on your calendar. Pick a good book and be excited to lie down and sift through a few pages. If you’re truly tired at that point, you’ll probably wake up in the morning with the book on your chest. – Logan Lenz, PartsMarket
15. Treat Yourself
Get a great mattress, get a great pillow and blanket. Test out different moisture levels with a humidifier. If it’s the only chance you get to relax everyday, it should be the most restoring experience you can have. Don’t be afraid to splurge. The advantages of enough sleep can be massive. Just getting more good rest out of the same amount of time can make you more creative and alert. – Matt Doyle, Excel Builders