Over centuries high productivity has become a major key to achieving big goals and being successful. No surprise it has also become the skill that millions of people aspire to improve.

The problem is that folks usually associate high productivity with hours spent doing stuff. The harder you work, the better results you produce. The longer you stay at work, the faster you accomplish the things you want. This is the strategy that was adopted by the majority.

As a result, with the strong eagerness to work more, people have invented how to stretch the working time. It was not that difficult. They merely sacrificed their resting time.

Unfortunately, this decision was completely misguided by poor logic. In reality, as well as electronic devices human beings also demand recharge in order to stay alert, energetic and creative. Thanks to nature we can do so via sleeping. Ironically, this is the first thing that is usually sacrificed with the intention to work more.

Very often people shorten the time they spent in bed in order to add a couple of hours to the time they can spend doing their things.

However, this is where everything goes wrong.

The truth is that cheating your sleep might be fine in a short term. However, in the long run you risk getting depressed, moody and totally exhausted. Eventually, this strategy will work another way round. Your efficiency is going to plummet soon.

The quality of your rest. This is the main determinant of your long-term productivity and efficiency of your work. Good rest is a concrete foundation and prerequisite for exceptional performance.

Meanwhile, the central pillar of your rest is sleep. This is what lets you disconnect and fully recharge. Therefore, it should be treated respectively.

It is not a secret, that going to bed on time is a struggle for most of us. There is always a desire to stay for some time more doing things as if they cannot be postponed. Eventually, the sleep gets shorter and you wake up being tired and weary.

This is not how things should work. Make sure you go to bed on time and have a good sleep to wake up in the morning full of energy and enthusiasm.

Here are 5 tips to help you go to sleep on time:

1. One Thing Less. It is crucial to avoid bedtime procrastination. One less episode. One less link. One less page. One less video. Do one thing less and go to bed earlier.
2. Establish A Ritual. Before going to sleep do something that relaxes you. Have a cup of herbal tea or a warm bath. Develop a habit of doing it on the regular basis. Have a ritual in order to tune yourself on bedtime.
3. Turn The Lights Off. Reduce the usage of electronic devices half an hour before going to bed. Let your eyes have a rest from “blue light”. It will help you fall asleep faster and not struggle to disconnect.
4. Give Yourself A Break. Leave all the issues till the morning. Do not think about work. Reports, decisions and discussion can wait. You should not be bothered by these things before going to bed.
5. Read. Do not use your smartphone or tablet for this. Read a book. Several pages will be enough to let your mind relax and prepare for sleep. However, do not read too much. Remember? One page less.

These simple steps will let avoid the struggle of going to bed on time.

Make sure you have a rest. Your productivity is defined by your readiness to be proactive, energetic and alert. Meanwhile, they are the results of your rest.

Acknowledge the importance of your sleep and take its quality seriously. Employ this simple strategy and very soon you will notice its positive influence on your mood, creativity, health and overall well-being.

Have a rest. Sleep well. Stay up to new wins. Be productive!

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