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Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio.
Good morning.
This is Laura.
Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is that it is possible to get eight hours of sleep a night, but doing so requires prioritizing it, which means getting into bed on time.
About a year ago, I published a book called Tranquility by Tuesday, which was about nine rules for calming the chaos and making time for what matters.
I think these rules can help anyone live a more productive and tranquil life.
The very first rule, Tranquility by Tuesday rule number one, it was to give yourself a bedtime.
I have noticed over the years that many people get enough sleep averaged over the course of a week, but there are a lot of short nights followed by crashing nights.
It is better to sleep 7.5 hours each day than six hours some days and nine hours other days.
In any case, most adults need to wake up at set times for work or family responsibilities.
That's why you have an alarm clock and have probably set it most mornings since you were 12.
Fewer of us have bedtime alarms, but it's not a bad idea.
And that is because unfortunately, we are about as trustworthy on that side of sleep as we would be in the morning without an alarm clock.
I saw a meme a while ago that had someone asserting dramatically that she would do absolutely anything to get eight hours of sleep except go to bed eight hours before she needed to wake up.
And isn't that true for most of us?
Some people have babies who wake up in the middle of the night, and some people do shift work.
But for those of us who have the ability to choose when we go to sleep and know that we will probably be able to stay in bed until we need to get up in the morning, getting enough sleep requires this.
You decide that the day is over and act accordingly.
You go to bed enough time before you need to wake up so that you can get the amount of sleep you truly need.
During the school year, I generally have to wake up at 6.30 a.m.
I need seven and a half hours of sleep, more or less.
So I go to bed at 11 p.m.
This is not rocket science.
It is simple math.
If I needed eight hours of sleep, my bedtime would need to be 1030.
If you want eight hours of sleep, you just have to do the same thing.
Figure out what time you need to set your alarm and be reasonable here.
Don't say you're going to wake up at 5 a.m. to exercise and then hit snooze eight times.
Just decide when the day should rationally start, and then count back eight hours.
Commit to turning off the light by this time.
Of course, most of us don't dive straight from life into sleep, so you probably need a little wind-down time.
It is worth constructing your evenings with this in mind.
Can you create some sort of indulgent bedtime routine so going to bed feels fun?
Maybe you spend a little time reading or doing a hobby, taking a relaxing shower, enjoying some couple time.
I don't know.
But build this slowing down into your life.
And then just get in bed eight hours before you need to wake up.
If you do need eight hours of sleep, you will find this practice life-changing.
You will have more orderly days and be able to enjoy your weekends when you are not constantly crashing.
As one person in the Tranquility by Tuesday book told me, this first rule was the least sexy but the most impactful thing they tried.
Build in eight hours of sleep and you are more likely to get eight hours of sleep.
Then if you figure hey, time is magic and you'll sleep enough despite being in bed for six hours, it just doesn't work.
Math and reality are tough that way.
But accept the limitations of time, work with them, and you will ultimately be happier.
In the meantime, this is Laura.
Thanks for listening.
And here's to making the most of our time.
Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.
If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at laura at lauravandercam.com.
Before Breakfast is a production of iHeart Media.
For more podcasts from iHeart Media, please visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
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