How to understand your sleep pattern and get more done! *AD*

How to understand your sleep pattern and get more done!

This post is in conjunction with TEMPUR® but all thoughts are my own.

Hello friends! Today I want to chat about sleep patterns and how understanding yours can help boost your productivity. As you might know, I recently became a mum and I have so much less time to get, well, anything done; cooking, cleaning, decorating, content… you name it! The days just GO and I get SO little done! Which is why I’m trying to understand my most productive hours in the day, so I can carve out time to get things done and maximise her nap times, so I don’t just end up making a coffee and sitting. I got a little help from TEMPUR® with this post. Not only have they provided me with one of their ultra comfortable pillows, but they have also taught me a little about the Sleep Chronotypes, which is the key to understanding not just your sleep patterns, but also your productivity levels throughout the day. Let’s go!

A few weeks ago, I started to notice that when I wake up in the morning, I have a burst of energy and I have a real feeling of ‘let’s do this!’ and I would start motoring around the house folding and putting away clothes. Although, as all mums know, as I was putting clothes away, she was next to me pulling them out the drawer. Facepalm! A few hours will rush by and then she will have lunch followed by a post-lunch nap. I would finally have a second to get stuff done and instead of feeling pumped with energy, I would get my own midday slump. I often find myself making a cup of coffee and sitting on the sofa and then boom. She’s back awake, we play, go to the garden and then I feel a renewed burst of energy of ‘the day is nearly over, I need to get stuff done’ and once again, as quick as I tidy or cook, she’s causing chaos! And that’s when I tell myself off for not getting everything done whilst she was napping… know the feeling?!

Chronotypes are a bit like personality types, but for sleep. Identifying yours can help you understand your body clock and therefore your productivity spikes. You can use this to help you figure out when you are feeling most active and productive, and when you are feeling a little more restful. So you can lean into the productive time and use the ‘slump’ times to chill a bit. Most people fall into one of four different Chronotypes, want to know what they are?!

The Bear Chronotype

Bears generally sleep between 11pm to 7am and tend to need their full 8 hours sleep. They have a major slump period after lunch (around 2-4pm) and they are their most productive in the morning. Over half of the population fall into the bear chronotype, so if you aren’t sure what you are yet, it might be a good place to start and you can always reassess your chronotype at a later date if you don’t feel like you fit into this pattern.

A great routine for a bear would be:

• 7am Wake up
• 10am-1pm High productivity time – do the jobs you need more energy for
• 1pm-4pm Low productivity time – do the easier jobs
• 4pm-6pm Medium – high productivity time – finish the jobs you didn’t complete in the morning
• 6pm-10pm Relax
• 10pm-onwards Sleep

Productivity tips for Bears:If you have an office job, try to avoid getting stuck into morning chit-chats in the morning, instead, get into the office a little earlier, plug in your headphones and get the ball rolling. You can chat around lunchtime / early afternoon when you get your lull. As for those who work from home, avoid cleaning the kitchen or putting a wash on in the morning – instead open the laptop and get to work. You can always put a wash on or do some batch cooking in the afternoon.

It might also be worth writing yourself a to-do list in the morning so you have a go-to plan for the day. Get the hardest stuff done first and leave the easier jobs for after lunch.

The Wolf Chronotype

Are you the kind of person who struggles to wake up in the morning and then feels like they spend the day sluggish and then finally kicks into action around bedtime?! Well, maybe you are a wolf! This is around 10-15% of the population and they often tend to be introverts too. A great schedule for you might be waking later and going to bed a little later so you really get to maximise that pre-bed productivity high. A routine for you might look like this:

• 9am Wake up
• 10 am-12pm Low productivity time – do the easier jobs
• 12pm -1pm High productivity time – do the admin jobs you need more energy for
• 2pm-4pm Low productivity time – do the easier jobs
• 4pm-9pm High productivity time – This is when you feel most creative
• 9-11pm Relax
• 11pm  Sleep

Productivity tips for Wolves:Whilst it can seem frustrating being a ‘night owl’, just remind yourself that you are a creative person and that’s when your magic happens! Try to write yourself a to-do list at night, so in the morning you can get cracking with easier, less creative jobs and bang on some music and get going. You might find some upbeat music is the motivation you need to get some mundane stuff done before your creative spark is lit later on!

The Dolphin Chronotype (& new mums!)

Dolphins tend to be troubled sleepers or insomniacs and as a result, tend not to have as many or as long high productivity times of the day. You may only get around 5-6 hours sleep and crave afternoon naps, which aren’t always possible. Also, as a new mum, you might normally be a different chronotype, but thanks to the baby’s shorter sleep cycles, you might temporarily fit into this category. Either way, try to be kind to yourself; sleep is important and when you don’t get enough sleep, it can be hard to be your most productive self.

• 6am-7am Wake up
• 8 am-10am Low productivity time – do the easier jobs
• 10am-12pm Medium – high productivity time – get your most important jobs done
• 12pm-6pm Low productivity time
• 6pm-10pm Relax
• 10pm-onwards Sleep

Productivity tips for Dolphins:Try to focus on one task at a time and break down each task into manageable bitesize chunks. Write yourself to-do lists so you can prioritise the most important jobs and work your way through them, one at a time.

In the evening try to limit your screen time and instead spend time reading and taking baths to try to promote as restful sleep as possible. It might be worth experimenting with audiobooks, pillow sprays, exercise, sleepy teas, yoga and meditation to see if this helps you sleep too.

The Lion Chronotype

The lions are the early risers who get their best work done in the morning. If you are a member of the 5am club, this could be you! You are on fire in the morning and the afternoons are way less focused and energetic. True to their name, Lions tend to be natural leaders and charismatic. A great routine for you could be:

• 5–6am Wake up
• 7am–12pm High productivity time- this is your time to host meetings, be creative, delegate and generally slay
• 12pm–5pm Low productivity time – do the easier jobs
• 5pm–10pm Relax
• 10pm  sleep

Productivity tips for Lions:Lions tend to be leaders, so don’t be afraid to assert yourself and only schedule meetings you want to attend in the mornings. This is YOUR time, so don’t feel forced into attending meetings in the morning which you don’t really need to be a part of. The more challenging jobs should be done in the morning and the less crucial and more ‘fun’ jobs should be done in the afternoon. It might also be worth mapping out your ‘easy’ afternoon in the morning when you are feeling mentally sharp.

How I identify

Personally, I see myself as the Bear Chronotype. However, over the past year, I have felt like a Dolphin at times, as I can struggle with sleep from time to time and when Mary has been up at night, I’ve not had the most restful sleep. It’s amazing how much power there is in understanding your personality type and sleep type. Not only does it enable you to be kinder to yourself, but it also means you can understand when you get your best work done and map your day out around this.

Also, it really goes to show how utterly essential a good night’s sleep is. If you look closely at the ideal schedule for all the chronotypes, they all have the same highly-productive hours in the day, they are just arranged differently; whereas if you look at the dolphins, they can struggle a little more as their sleep is more disturbed.

How can we make changes, based on our Chronotypes?

First up, take the TEMPUR® sleep quiz to figure out what chronotype you are and then try to plan your day according to your chronotype and productivity highs and lows.

Next, remember how vital sleep is for a productive day. We must all carve out the time each evening to relax and unwind so that we get the best night’s sleep we can. This might include spending time reading, away from your phone or maybe listening to music or an audiobook whilst taking a bath. Be kind to yourself and remember this is an important time for you now and also for your following day.

Finally, make your bed and your bedroom a safe haven; keep it clean, tidy and well organised. Invest in some creature comforts to make it a happier and more comfortable place; this could be anything from scented candles to softer lighting, hot water bottles or softer pyjamas and bedding. Also, I honestly can’t recommend enough thinking about switching out your mattress and pillow when needed to. Your pillows should be changed every two years and your mattress should be changed every 5-10 years and I promise, it will make a world of difference if you are due an upgrade. Also, bed bases can make a huge difference too, so when you switch up your mattress, make sure the base is in good order and if not, consider changing that to a newer and more supportive one. I’ve been using one of the amazing TEMPUR® pillows and it’s an absolute game changer for me, it’s so comfortable. In fact, it’s the most comfortable pillow I’ve ever had and I have tried memory foam pillows before from other brands and I didn’t get on with them, but this is NEXT Level!

One final thing before I go: planning is always a good thing. Whether it’s planning to have a bath that night, or planning your day, or writing yourself a to-do list, planning is important, so write those lists and schedules when you are feeling fresh and sharp. When your post-lunch sluggish feeling kicks in, you can refer to that list, pick out an easy job and get cracking until the energy levels pick back up! I really hope this post has been of help, I honestly can’t urge you enough to take the sleep quiz and if you are in the market for a new pillow or mattress, it’s worth making the investment and TEMPUR® are amazing!

♥

This post has been sponsored by TEMPUR®. As you might have noticed, I am obsessed with my TEMPUR®pillow and I cannot wait to treat myself to one of their memory foam mattresses at some point too!