Author: Marek

Tossing and turning all night, ruminating about tomorrow’s big presentation? Running your mind over and over again about how to complete your deadlines on time? Sometimes, it’s hard to shut off your mind to fall asleep, and coupled with bad sleeping habits, it can become nearly impossible.

Getting less sleep and inefficiency in the workplace go hand-in-hand. If you want to continue to be an executive at the top of your game, you’ll need to kiss your bad sleeping habits goodbye.

A proven link exists that shows a lack of a good night’s sleep creates unproductivity in the workplace. You can read more about sleep deprivation effects on workplace performance, and keep reading here to stop those bad sleeping habits that are doing you in so you can fall asleep.

 Get Rid of These 18 Bad Sleeping Habits and Definitely Get a Good Night’s Sleep. CLICK TO TWEET 

Bad Sleeping Habits to Avoid

Along with stress, there are some things you’re likely doing that are preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep. Read on to find out what they are so you can begin to form good sleeping habits and bring your A-game to work every day.

1. Exposure to Blue Light at Night

Burning the midnight oil isn’t helping, especially if you’re on your laptop, tablet, or smartphone until you go to bed. Blue light which you’re exposed to with your electronic devices keeps your brain alert. It takes your brain a few hours to wind down from that.

You should keep away from your electronic gadgets two to three hours before lights out to get a good night’s sleep.

According to an article published by Harvard, all lights suppress your release of melatonin, the hormone your body produces naturally to help you sleep. Blue light is more powerful though.

Harvard conducted a study that compared the effects of how 6.5 hours of blue light exposure versus green light exposure at the same brightness boded for participants. It showed that blue light suppressed melatonin two times longer than green light.

2. Watching Late-Night Television (Especially in Bed)

Another big blue light emitter is your television. If you want to fall asleep, you’ll have to break this bad sleeping habit fast. When you watch TV in bed late at night, it has the opposite effect you desire. Instead of making you sleepy, it energizes you.

With a TV in the bedroom, you will ruin your sex life too. That’s more reason to save TV time for earlier in the evening when you’re still in your living room.

3. Using Your Phone as Your Wake-up Device

Many people rely on their smartphones to wake them in the morning. And thus, the cycle of being tethered to our phones continues from the moment we rise. Likely though before bed, you’re probably checking to make sure your alarm is set, and then scrolling through messages and emails. Before you even realize it, you’ve spent another 10 to 20 minutes idly playing with your phone.

Just shut it off and use an alarm clock. Worried about a random power outage that would cause you to miss getting up on time? Invest in one that has a battery backup.

When you stop relying on your phone to wake you, you’ll have an easier time turning it off and tuning into a good night’s sleep.

4. Setting Your Alarm Clock Close to Your Bed

After getting that alarm clock set up, the next bad sleeping habit you likely have is keeping it right next to your bed. If you wake in the middle of the night and can’t fall asleep, having the clock right there can be a distraction. Likely when you wake, you may look at the time. You’ll shut your eyes and try to sleep, toss and turn, and then look at the time again.

Counting down how many hours you have left before you get up only creates more anxiety and makes it that much more difficult to fall back asleep.

Plus, having it too close can make it too easy for you to hit the snooze button when you need to get up and conquer your workday on time.

If you have trouble falling asleep or falling back asleep if you’ve woken up in the middle of the night due to stress, we can help you.

7 Ways to Sleep Better Even If Your Stress Is Eating You Alive

5. Working Before Bedtime

Some people take work home with them because they think they’ll get a jump on the next day. Let it wait. A good night’s sleep is more important because it allows you to refresh your mind and clear the stress away. You’ll be a better executive for it.

When you take work home and plug away at it until you turn out the lights, falling asleep becomes next to impossible because all those worries from your day coupled with that blue light will keep you up all night.

6. Working in Bed

Even worse than working before bedtime is working in your bed! Your brain gets the message that the bedroom is a place for work rather than sleep. If you’ve done it once, no need to fret, but don’t do it ever again. The more you keep up this bad sleeping habit, the more your brain forms this association, making it more focused and alert when presented with these stimulus and keeping you awake.

Your bedroom should be the place you reserve for relaxation and sleep.

If you have kept up this bad sleeping habit, retrain your brain by turning your bedroom into a center of calm. Don’t make lists for work or schedule your day out in bed either. Put everything work-related away and focus on yourself so you can fall asleep.

In time, you’ll find this makes you much more productive when you’re at the office.

7. Taking Long Naps During the Day

The lifestyle of an executive is certainly exhausting. Naps are a fantastic way to restore and replenish in the middle of the day. Research shows they benefit executives and result in greater productivity.

This doesn’t mean you can go to sleep for an hour or more though.

The ideal time-frame for your afternoon nap should be no more than 20 minutes.

To sleep any longer puts you in a deeper state which is harder to wake from and harder to get back into gear from too. Long naps will disrupt your sleep pattern at night too, so make sure to keep that nap short.

8. Keeping Odd Sleeping Hours Due to Your Job

Sleep routines aren’t just for small children. Hard-working executives need them too in order to get a good night’s sleep. If you attend a dinner meeting on Monday night and don’t get to bed until midnight, then go to bed at 9 pm on Tuesday, 11 pm on Wednesday, and then at 2 am on Thursday while preparing for a trip, you’re disrupting your sleep pattern, making it hard for you to fall asleep.

Surely some exceptions can’t be avoided such as travel times that must be accommodated. For everything else though, stick to getting in bed at the same time every night, so you get a good night’s sleep.

9. Sleeping Late on the Weekends

Some executives are fastidious about going to sleep at the same hour every day of the work week. And then on the weekends, they stay up late, perhaps going out to grab drinks with friends until 2 am on a Saturday night. Doing this can result in a condition known as social jetlag. This video on social jet lag will help you understand how you’re doing more harm than good.

Going to bed late on the weekends constantly resets your body’s clock to a different cycle. It’s basically like having jet lag every single Monday morning when you get up for work and is a bad sleeping habit you need to get rid of fast to fall asleep.

10. Taking Stimulants Before Bedtime

Whether you love coffee, chocolate, or are a regular smoker, taking in stimulants in these forms, especially 6 hours before bedtime (yes, 6 hours!), can keep you up at night and prevent that good night’s sleep.

A prominent study showed that caffeine takes up to 6 hours to wear off, a serious impediment to falling asleep.

Nicotine also causes sleep disturbances, particularly with sleep-related respiratory disorders. As chocolate also contains caffeine, it can keep you up at night, so stay away from your hidden chocolate stash!

11. Drink Alcohol Before Bedtime

The National Institute of Health found that drinking alcohol just prior to bedtime decreases how much time you spend in REM sleep. REM is that stage of deep and restorative phase that you need for a good night’s sleep. It’s the stage you want to avoid during that short afternoon nap, but the one you need at night.

Avoid drinking or at least limit it significantly during your company’s off-site events, sales meetings, or dinners with clients.

Reach out for non-alcoholic alternatives instead.

12. Being Uncomfortable in Bed

For executives, it’s tempting after a long day at the office followed by even longer dinner meetings to just climb right into bed without changing your clothes or removing makeup.

Take the few extra minutes to properly ready yourself for bed. Put on sleeping attire. Wash your face and moisturize it. Brush your teeth. And if you wear contacts, take them out, or you may increase your chances of waking up with an eye infection.

13. Having a Sedentary Lifestyle

According to Rodney Dishman, a researcher at the University of Georgia, “Staying active won’t cure your sleep complaints, but it will reduce the odds of them.” His research showed that adding exercise during the day adds 45 minutes of extra sleep each night.

Other studies show that it’s not just the duration of sleep time either. It also makes for better quality sleep.

14. Intense Workouts Late in the Evening

With that exercise though, it’s important to get it into your day early on.

If you want a good night’s sleep, that exercise shouldn’t be performed too late in the day, or it will interfere with your sleep.

That’s because it speeds up your metabolism. Studies confirm this stimulatory effect from exercise. It also makes you more alert and releases adrenaline. Hit the gym or the jogging trail early to avoid being kept awake.

15. Staying All Day in the Office Without Experiencing Daylight

You might think it’s healthy to avoid the sun, but your body needs daily sun exposure in a protected way. Getting in the habit of wearing sunscreen protects from dangerous UVA and UVB rays. When you stay long hours in the office and don’t get enough sun exposure, it can ruin your chance of getting a good night’s sleep. ç

Bad sleeping habits like this were exposed in a new study that found low amounts of daylight exposure for executives led to poor sleep, activity, and overall quality of life.

Get out there in the sun for a little bit, or put a therapy lamp in your office.

Light exposure in the workplace improves your sleep and vitality which will, in turn, improve your work performance.

Rebalance Your Sleep Cycle With Light Therapy Now!

16. Eating Unhealthy Food or Large Meals at Night

Good nutrition is always important for your best health. It can also affect your ability to have a good night’s sleep.

One of those bad sleeping habits you might have is eating large, heavy meals before bed. If you’re eating lots of refined carbs before bed and your meals are more like big feasts, you should change your eating habits.

Ideally, you should eat dinner earlier. Avoid eating 2 to 3 hours before you go to sleep.

Large meals before bed kick your metabolism into gear, and that affects your ability to fall asleep and stay that way. Plus, it’s uncomfortable to lie down with a full belly. Late-night eating not only impedes the release of melatonin and HGH but studies additionally showed it causes problems with obesity that will lead to other health issues.

17. Trying to Force Sleep

If you can’t fall asleep, don’t stay in bed staring at the ceiling.

If you can’t fall asleep within 15 minutes, get out of bed and try something relaxing.

In dimmed lighting, sit in another room and read a book unrelated to work. Listen to relaxing music or try a yoga sequence for sleep. After a relaxing activity, get back to bed, and it should be much easier to get a good night’s sleep.

Discover more sleeping tips to help you fall asleep fast.

20 Simple (Yes, Simple) Sleeping Tips that Will You Make Sleep Like a Baby.

18. Having Too Warm of a Bedroom

Your body sleeps better at colder temperatures. Ideally, the best setting is anywhere from 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, open your window before bedtime to let some fresh, cold air in or blast the air conditioning, so your bedroom is cold when you sleep.

What’s your trick for getting a good night’s sleep? Tell us in the comments!

Do you wish to find out ways to sleep better? Are you often tossing and turning in bed at night not able to fall asleep? Or awake in the middle of the night with racing thoughts? And what is actually keeping you up in the dark? Do you replay the stressful parts of your day? Are you anxious about the strategic project you are responsible for or about meeting the deadlines or about the growth prospects of your company?

Perhaps, the thought about an upcoming meeting with your boss is paralyzing you or you are panicking about tomorrow’s important presentation.

In those moments the only thing you want is to calm down, stop being worried and fall asleep! You know that sleep deprivation will make you tired and less productive the next day…Do you know that your sleepless nights could be avoided? Do you know that there are many ways to sleep better?

If you have trouble falling asleep or falling back asleep if you’ve woken up in the middle of the night due to stress, we can help you.

In this post, we will discuss what to do when you can’t sleep at night. Get a good night’s sleep so you can wake up feeling ready to take on the day.

There are many ways to sleep better. Keep reading for seven easy strategies to help you sleep at night! You just have to decide what strategy is best for you!

 If you suffer from sleeplessness due to stress at work, just decide which one of these strategies is best for you to sleep better at night. CLICK TO TWEET  

 Strategy 1: Use Relaxation Techniques

One of the best ways to sleep better at night is to use relaxation techniques. These techniques allow your body and mind to progressively relax which in turn allows you to fall asleep.

According to an article by the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care, relaxation techniques reduce physical tension and interrupt the thought processes that can affect sleep. The goal is to stay out of your head by stopping the thoughts and worries long enough to fall asleep. If you need it, write down your worries and postpone worrying and brainstorming until the next morning.

These techniques will not only help you fall asleep initially but will also help you fall back asleep if you’ve woken up in the middle of the night.

1. Deep Breathing Method

Taking slow, deliberate breaths are a great way to sleep better. First, try just slow intentional breathing to start to calm your mind. Slowly breath in fully through your nose then slowly and fully breathe out through your nose. Slow and steady, in and out through the nose.

This is a good relaxation breath you can do anywhere or in any stressful situation!

Next try the 4-7-8 breathing method by breathing in for four seconds, retaining the breath for 7 seconds, and then slowly breathing out for eight seconds. While doing this breath, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Place your hands on your abdomen so you can feel the breath moving in and out of your belly.

There are so many other breathing techniques to try, so use a few to find the one that works best for you.

2. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

This is another technique to ease you into sleep while allowing tension to leave your muscle and your mind.

Lay on your back in bed and close your eyes. Choose one’s spot and tense the muscles there, hold for a brief second and consciously relax them. Begin at your head and move down to your toes.

For example, focus on your eyes and squeeze them to create tension there. Hold that tension for a couple of seconds and then gently relax the whole area. Continue to do this throughout your whole body checking in with your mouth, neck, shoulders, chest, back, stomach, arms, hands, hips, buttocks, legs, calves and feet.

Once you have finished your body will feel light and tension free and ready to fall asleep.

3. Autogenic Training

Autogenic training is similar to progressive muscle relaxation, but you’re using the same technique to relieve yourself of mental and emotional stress.

Start the same way as above, going from head to toe releasing any tension in your muscles.

Instead of tensing the muscles one by one use your breath and focus on releasing the heaviness in those areas.

Your mind controls so much of your body that you will be surprised just how relaxed your muscles can be without doing anything physical.

This technique is a great way to fall asleep if you can’t sleep at night.

4. Guided Imagery

Guided imagery is a self-induced mind-body experience that can take you anywhere.

For a way to sleep better use this to think of something especially relaxing. For example, imagine yourself lying on a beach (or wherever your happy place is). Allow yourself to feel all the sensations that make you so relaxed at the beach. The sun, sand, sounds of waves, or the carefreeness that you feel. Imagine that you’re there, in that place.

As executives, sometimes it’s hard to leave the stress of the day behind, but guided imagery can take you out of your head every single night and allow you a way to sleep better.

Strategy 2: Re-Associate Bed with Sleep Instead of Arousal

For many people going to bed is what to do when you’re tired and ready to fall asleep. For others, the stillness of bed is hard to deal with and can cause feelings of anxiety and stress. You lay there and go through the to-do list in your head. This can be especially hard for executives coming off a busy or stressful day of work.

To re-associate bedtime with sleep instead of arousal you use something called stimulus-control therapy as a way to sleep better.

To achieve this only use bed for sleeping and sexual activity. Stop using digital devices in bed. It may be tempting to check your email before falling asleep. But this can cause stress for what’s to come in the morning, and the blue light from screens can block melatonin production.

You should also only go to bed when you are tired or sleepy. Lying in bed for too long can make your thoughts start to run wild which will have the opposite effect that your bed should have. When you’re unable to fall asleep after 20 minutes, get up and do something relaxing. Try reading or drinking warm tea (not in bed!) and then go back to bed once you are sleepy.

Strategy 3: Use Natural Sleep Aids

Natural sleep aids may not be a magic pill that you take to fall asleep every night but, it could be a beneficial way to sleep better. Try drinking decaffeinated tea as a way of winding down before bed. Sleepytime tea, passionflower tea or a warm glass of milk are all natural sleep aids.

According to a study done by Phototherapy Research, drinking passionflower tea just before bedtime can improve quality of sleep. It has been shown that the tea has a sedative and soothing property to invoke a good night’s rest.

Similarly, drinking milk at night has the same relaxing effect due to the protein Lactium. Lactium lowers blood pressure and relaxes the muscles, which can, in turn, make you tired and fall asleep.

If you feel the need for something more substantial instead of tea or milk, try a light evening snack. A study conducted by Advance Nutrition states that low-fat snack at nighttime can promote better sleep. Foods such as low-fat yogurt, berries, kiwis or bananas can help promote better sleep.

Find out More About Effective Natural Sleep Remedies

Strategy 4: Use Melatonin Supplements

Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced in our bodies and is released as night approaches. A lack of melatonin is linked to disturbed sleep.

The use of melatonin pills is beneficial for executives who suffer from loss of sleep.

Melatonin pills work by promoting the body’s circadian rhythms. They allow you to fall asleep faster and prevent waking up in the middle of the night. Research has also shown that ingesting melatonin lowers the production of the stress hormone cortisol. This is beneficial for executives due to the stress of everyday executive life.

When using melatonin take it about 30 minutes before going to bed. This allows you to bypass the extended time it usually takes you to fall asleep.

Use Melatonin for Sleep and Rest Well Before a Busy Business Day!

Stratgey 5: Follow Bedtime Rituals

Following a bedtime ritual is a definite way to sleep better.

A nighttime ritual will help you ease into relaxation by creating a routine where the end result is going to be sleep.

This nighttime ritual could include reading for pleasure, yoga, self-massage, a warm bath or shower.

Never do something that will have a stimulatory effect such as making to-do lists or read work reports. Tasks like these can increase alertness instead of having a calming effect.

Do you need more tips on sleeping better?

Master Your Executive Resting Time with Bedtime Rituals

Strategy 6: Change Your Daily Habits

As executives, we know that our daily schedules are important to have success throughout our workdays. This same principle can be applied to help you foster more ways to sleep better.

Try re-scheduling your sleep patterns or fixing your sleeping times. Waking earlier in the morning will allow you to get tired earlier in the evening with a better chance of falling asleep without trouble.

Getting outside and taking a walk during the day will help get a quick burst of physical activity and expose you to sunlight.

Exposure to natural light helps to regulate the bodies production of melatonin secretion and your circadian rhythm.

Diet and exercise are part of this equation because what you eat and how much you move play a part in how well you sleep.

As a busy executive, you may be sitting for hours at a time or eating at luncheons every day. This is part of the job so make your choices wisely. According to epidemiology research done at the University of Leeds, the higher your fruit and vegetable intake the better you will sleep at night. The assumption here being to consume fewer carbohydrates and fatty foods.

Looking at these daily habits is essential in figuring out how to fall asleep better.

Strategy 7: See A Therapist

Part of being a healthy executive is also knowing when you need help.

If you have tried all the strategies above and are still not finding relief, a therapist can be beneficial.

Stress is a constant in our lives and sometimes hard to cope with so therapists can offer more guidance.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is beneficial as it focuses on challenging and changing unhelpful behaviors. If this type of treatment does not work, in extreme situations, medication may be prescribed to induce sleep.

Keep in mind that if your sleeping problems are due to chronic pain, depression or other medical issues then this post is not for you. In such case, you should also seek help from your healthcare provider.

Conclusion

Sleep is an important and necessary daily function and a good night of it can make or break a productive workday. Stress from an executive’s busy schedule can negatively affect sleep and in turn, promote poor work performance.

There are ways to sleep better but, just like everything you must put in the work. The seven strategies explained above will help promote and foster healthy sleep cycles by practicing them on a daily basis.

Keep in mind that our sleep schedules aren’t just affected by our nighttime routines but also by the time we wake up, the food and drinks we consume, and of course the stress of our daily lives.

By examining this picture as a whole, you can decide what strategies would help you fall asleep better at night.

Have you tried any sleep strategies? Let us know what works for you!

Do you always feel like sleep is something elusive that’s just out of your reach? You’re not alone. Many executives face stress that keeps them up at night, work long hours, and travel frequently, which translates to sleep troubles.

Fortunately, you don’t have to take it lying down. You can master the art of sleep with these sleeping tips that will make you see more of the back of those eyelids. These sleeping tips will make all the difference in allowing you to get the rest you need so you can be on top of your game every day of the grind!

Master the art of sleep with these sleeping tips and be on top of your game in the office!  CLICK TO TWEET 

What to Do during the Day for a Good Night’s Sleep

1. Experience Daylight

 It might sound counterintuitive when you can’t sleep well at night. However, exposing yourself to bright daylight during wakeful hours is one of the best ways to kick insomnia to the curb.

According to one study, doing so helped people fall asleep 83% faster. In another study, older adults that exposed themselves to 2 hours of light during the daytime were able to increase sleep duration by 2 hours and boosted sleep efficiency to 80%.

Trapped in the office with no way to indulge in bright daylight? Then try a therapy lamp. It helps make up for the lost sunlight you’re not getting while you work away. Using it regularly can regulate your circadian rhythm, enhance your memory and cognition, and increase energy.

A therapy lamp may even diminish the impact of fatigue and jet lag when you’ve been traveling.

Combat Insomnia and Restore Balance Now!

2. Change When and What You Eat in the Evenings

It’s hard with all those long hours, but one of the best sleeping tips is to eat your dinner earlier in the evening. There was a study that found that having a low-carb diet improved sleep.

Healthy sleepers who engaged in eating very low calories over a short term had a greater percentage of deep sleep compared to those that ate a mixed diet.

Researchers surmised this might be due to metabolism and fat content.

That being said, for better sleep, change what you eat in the evenings. Avoid consuming rich, heavy foods in those 2 hours prior to going to bed. Spicy and acidic foods must be avoided during that time frame. They could cause you stomach trouble, including heartburn, which could keep you up at night.

You can also check out what to eat at night to have energy in the morning so that you perform at your peak while in the office!

3. Do More Exercise

One of the best sleeping tips for executives lies in the power of exercise. In fact, the more vigorous, the better. However, even if you just have time for a quick 10-minute walk each day, this can greatly improve your sleep quality.

You’ll need to stick to it over several months though in order to get the full benefits. It’s a good idea to put your focus on building exercise habits that really stick to become a good sleeper.

Still not convinced that more exercise can lead to better sleep? In one study, older adults that engaged in 30 to 40 minutes of daily exercise averaged about 41 more minutes of sleep nightly.

Those with severe insomnia gained more benefits from exercise than by taking sleep-aid drugs. In the study, they fell asleep 55% faster, while total night wakefulness dropped by 30%. Additionally, anxiety fell by 15% and sleep time increased by 18%.

No time to exercise? Workout at work!

11 Ideas to Get Started and Improve Your Sleep Quality!

4. Stick to a Sleep Schedule

Every day, even on the weekends, follow the same sleep schedule.  Your body’s clock regulates when you stick to a schedule for sleep and it could hold the key to helping you fall asleep and stay asleep every night.

Consistency in sleep is essential as studies show poor sleep patterns are the result of going to bed later on weekends. Other studies have also shown that getting irregular sleep patterns causes trouble for your melatonin levels and affects your circadian rhythm.

Ritual 1 Hour Before Bedtime: De-stress

According to a research study published in the Behavioral Sleep Medicine journal, mental stress has an adverse impact on the quality of sleep and affects circadian rhythm.

Knowing this, sleeping tips for the executive that can’t sleep should include a daily ritual you perform an hour prior to going to sleep.

5. Use Melatonin Supplements

Melatonin is a hormone your body naturally produces that aids in sleep. Sometimes when your schedule is out of sorts or from aging, your body doesn’t produce enough of it to help you get those coveted Z’s.

Fortunately, you can get more of it in supplemental form. Check out our other post on melatonin for sleep to find out how to take them to your advantage.

Rest Well Before a Busy Business Day With Melatonin!

6. Practice Yoga or Easy Stretches

 You don’t have to be an expert to reap the benefits of yoga. It helps improve flexibility, reduce stress, and even get better sleep.

According to a 2012 survey conducted in the US by the CDC, over 55% of people that practiced some form of yoga got better sleep. The study also mentioned that 85% of those that engaged in yoga reduced their stress.

If stress is what is keeping you up at night, this sleeping tip is a smart move. Yoga or easy stretches can help you push the negativity out of your body and welcome in deeper, more peaceful sleep.

Get Started With Yoga at Home

7. Practice Meditation

Engaging in meditation is another sleeping tip you should try, one that proved to quell the symptoms of anxiety and stress, leading to better sleep.

If you’re not sure how to meditate, you can use this meditation headband. It helps steer your overworked mind in the right direction with weather sounds that become more and more peaceful as your mind quiets.

If you’ve never meditated before, this can help any executive master the mind by improving stress responses, allowing natural relaxation responses, and reducing stress and anxiety.

Start Relaxing Your Mind and Fall Asleep Fast Every Night!

8. Try Acupressure

Another one of the best sleeping tips for busy executives is to try acupressure.

It can reduce stress and tension while increasing your ability to relax and sleep.

Georgetown University Medical Center conducted a study that proved acupressure decreases stress hormones and leads to a better state of mind. It can improve all your body’s systems including digestion and circulation as well as sleep cycles.

No time for an acupressure appointment? No problem! You can enjoy the benefits of acupressure at home by using an acupressure mat!

Get Better Sleep by Stimulating Pressure Points Now!

9. Try a Relaxing Massage

Massages on the regular can really help you relax and improve your sleep quality. Studies showed that massages promoted sleep in those that were ill. In fact, this therapy has benefits for those that aren’t necessarily ill too!

Without getting enough sleep, your health could soon be affected. Why not take the relaxing route and improve your circulation, help with relaxation, and get the sleep you need?

Again, if you have no time to schedule a massage, try using a full body massager or a  foot massager at home.

Massage Stress Away Every Night! 

10. Take a Warm Bath

Baths aren’t just for babies. They’re for busy executives like yourself that need an extra boost to sleep. In fact, the older you are, the better it is for your sleep! Study after study has shown this is one of those sleeping tips you shouldn’t ignore. A hot bath before going to bed improves the quality of deep sleep.

No time for a big bath? According to research, if you don’t have the time you can soak your feet with the same results!

11. Wind Down with Your Favorite (and Calm) Hobby

 If you have a relaxing hobby, that hour ritual before going to bed is the ideal time to practice it. It could be reading, writing, word puzzles, playing music, sewing, or really anything you adore, so long as it is calming.

Anything that serves to overstimulate you should be done during wakeful hours.

12. Have Sex

 As if you needed an excuse! Sex is a great way to get better sleep.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, it releases oxytocin, the hormone that helps you feel that love buzz with your partner. It also lowers cortisol, the stress hormone. Once you have an orgasm, prolactin is released which causes a relaxed and sleepy feeling, putting you in a drowsy state that is primed for sleep.

In fact, sex can make you perform better at work too.

Find out How Sex Makes Success Better in Business!

13. Drink Passionflower Tea or Milk to Relax

While alcoholic beverages can actually interfere with your sleep, certain beverages can promote a relaxing effect that allows you to sleep like a baby.

For example, drinking passionflower tea or a warm glass of milk can have that soothing effect you’re looking for. The Journal of Medicinal Food found that milk harvested at night contains high levels of tryptophan and melatonin. And the Nordic Journal of Psychiatry found that melatonin-rich milk aided the elderly in better sleep.

You might not be keen on sleep aids in drug form, but we have a post about natural sleep aids that can help you get the sleep you need to really rise and shine without any ill effects!

Effective Natural Remedies To Beat Insomnia Nights After Nights

What to Do in Bed for a Good Night’s Sleep

And now as you pull the covers up, try these sleeping tips to maximize your executive sleep cycle for a better tomorrow.

14. Practice the Deep Breathing Method

Deep breathing can help put you in a relaxed state.

The key is to inhale through your nose for 4 seconds while slowly exhaling out your mouth for 7 to 8 seconds.

This type of breathing engages the abdominals and the chest. Put your hands on your stomach to feel if it is moving along with you as you breathe. Engaging in this method will help you finish winding down.

15. Read Something for Fun

Another marvelous sleeping tip is to pick a novel and read it each night before bed. Reading can be a wonderful way to relax and ready yourself for sleep.

Just be sure you choose something of the fiction variety and never anything that’s related to your job.

16. Listen to Relaxing Music

Music is one of the best sleeping tips of all. Of course, it should be of the relaxing variety. This isn’t the time for heavy metal.

Classical music or anything ambient can really help, according to studies conducted where students listened to classical, audiobooks, and a group that received no intervention.

17. Try Aromatherapy

The Hainan Medical University found that aromatherapy had great health benefits, impacting the nervous system in a positive way. Alleviate indigestion, insomnia, and pain by using essential oils.

One way to accomplish this is to get an aromatherapy diffuser and use it in your bedroom as you sleep.

Diffuse Tension and Sleep Better at Night with Aromatherapy.

18. Try a Change in Sleep Position or Sleep Equipment

Perhaps the way you’re lying in bed could be to blame, or even your mattress. If your mattress is uncomfortable, you should look into buying a new one.

A study found that by buying a new mattress and sleeping on it for 28 days, it reduced back pain and improved sleep quality.

19. Optimize Your Bedroom Environment

 If you’ve recently changed your mattress, or even your bedding, consider taking other measures to ensure good, deep sleep.

Blackout curtains can help a great deal, blocking out street lights and even curbing sounds. Eye masks are another option if you can’t do anything about the window treatments, especially when you’re traveling for work. Earplugs can help tune out street sounds and snoring partners (or pets!).

Additionally, make sure your room is cool enough to sleep. The right temperature matters!

20. Be Close to Your Family in Bed

 As a busy executive, finding the time to spend with family can be challenging. Welcome all those hugs, snuggles, laughs, and chats just prior to bed.

When the whole family piles on, it makes the bed a happy place, one where you can relax and find the dreamworld for a refreshing sleep that lasts all night long.

Read our infographic on the related topic by clicking on image below:

Have you tried any of these sleeping tips? Tell us how they worked for you in the comments!