We all know how important a good night’s sleep is to being your most productive self at work the next day. Yet demanding work schedules, family obligations, or even just binge-watching TV often get in the way of getting a full 7.76 hours of sleep a night.
Here’s how the always well-rested manage to pull it off:
They Set A Bedtime
Gretchen Rubin, author of Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives, sets an alarm to go off about 15 minutes before her actual bedtime. “Often I stayed up too late because I was so tired I couldn’t face getting ready for bed. Now I try to get ready for bed well before when I plan to actually go to bed, so when I do, it’s easy,” she says.
They Prioritize Sleep Over Everything Else
“If I’m out with a group and I know I have to be in bed by 11, I just leave without telling anyone and text when I’m home safely,” says Alexandra Lee, senior vice president of strategy and partnerships for Crush & Lovely. “If you try to start a conversation with your friends about why you’re leaving, you’ll get talked into one more drink or staying for 15 more minutes, and then you’ll be up until 2 a.m.”
They Write Down Nagging Thoughts
“I keep a notebook and pen by the bed to write down thoughts, inspirations, and notes so that I can get it out of my head,” says Jo Piazza, author and managing editor of Yahoo Travel. “It makes it easier to fall asleep if you get it out.”