One thing you’ll hear time and time again in the productivity world, is the important of getting enough sleep. 

I happen to completely agree, and for most of my working life I made sure that I got my 8 hours, no matter what. Yea, the odd late night sneaks in, but it should never become a regular thing.

Recently, things have changed.

I now sleep less each day, and my productivity and general alertness is better than before. You can do the same. 

Sleep - Measure - Learn

Sound familiar? It’s an important principle in Lean Startup and elsewhere: without measuring a variable, it’s difficult to know how to affect it positively.

Want to improve sign-ups for your product? Measure the crap out of the signup process. 
Want to lose or gain weight? Get an accurate digital scale.

Want to sleep more effectively? Get measuring :) 

Record your sleep patterns

I started off with Sleep Cycle on my iPhone. Stick your phone under the sheets for a couple of nights, and the app records your movements and deduces how you’re sleeping throughout the night. It’s dirt cheap and easy to do, so go ahead and give it a try. 

It showed me that, fairly consistently, I was actually most awake at about 7:10 after getting to sleep. At exactly 8 hours (my wake up time), I was already heading back into deep sleep, which makes it a lot harder to wake up quickly and easily. 

Well, the clock was adjusted, my alarm set a little earlier. My bed-time routine stayed exactly the same, there’s a link at the bottom to a great post about getting that routine right.

Fuck you, Snooze Button

As you might expect, I started finding it much easier to wake up. If that sounds odd, just give it a go for a week or so, you’ll be surprised at the difference it can make. 

I also started avoiding the snooze button all together. Fractured 5-minutes-more sleep is not useful, so don’t bother. Just having my alarm clock out of reach was the most effective way to do this. Once I’m stood up, next to my dressing gown and glass of water, I don’t usually feel the desire to get back into bed.

Now, I’m finding it easier to get up and I’ve got an extra 50 minutes in the morning. Awesome :) 

It’s nap-time baby!

My serious productivity booster actually started a little before the adjusted sleep schedule, but it fitted in so perfectly. At lunchtime, wherever I am, I’ll get in a 20-minute power nap or meditation. (And yes, I’ve done this while working in-office with clients before). 
I don’t need to explain the benefits here, if you aren’t aware of them, have a quick google around. 

So, the end results: 

• I sleep for about 7.5 hours a day (7:10 at night, and a midday nap). 
• I find it easier to wake up, refreshed, without the need for caffeine. 
• I’m alert and productive throughout the day, with a great boost after my powernap. 

You try it! 

p.s.

Joel (co-founder of Buffer), has a great post on creating a sleep ritual, another key part to great sleep.