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- Everyone knows that getting enough sleep is important, but the things you do right before bed can also set you up for success the following day.
- From taking a hot bath to writing out the next day’s to-do list, successful people have a number of nighttime rituals that may lead to their success.
- We rounded up 14 things that highly successful people do right before bed.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
The last thing you do before bed tends to have a significant impact on your mood and energy level the next day, as it often determines how well and how much you sleep.
Successful people understand that their success starts and ends with their mental and physical health, which is almost entirely dependent upon their getting enough sleep.
That is why good bedtime routines are a key ritual for so many of them.
Here’s what many successful people do right before bed.
1. They read
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Experts agree that reading is the very last thing most successful people do before going to sleep —President Barack Obama and Bill Gates are known to read for at least a half hour before bed.
Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author of "You Can’t Be Serious! Putting Humor to Work," says he knows numerous business leaders who block off time just before bed for reading, going so far as to schedule it as a "non-negotiable item" on their calendar.
"This isn’t necessarily reserved just for business reading or inspirational reading. Many successful people find value in being browsers of information from a variety of sources, believing it helps fuel greater creativity and passion in their lives," he says.
2. They unplug completely
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The blue light from your phone mimics the brightness of the sun, which tells your brain to stop producing melatonin, an essential hormone that regulates your circadian rhythm and tells your body when it’s time to wake and when it’s time to sleep. This could lead not only to poor sleep, but also to vision problems, cancer, and depression.
Michael Woodward, Ph.D., organizational psychologist and author of "The YOU Plan," agrees, saying, "The last thing you need is to be lying in bed thinking about an email you just read from that overzealous boss who spends all their waking hours coming up with random requests driven by little more than a momentary impulse."
Give yourself a buffer period of at least a half-hour between the time you read your last email and the time you go to bed.
3. They disconnect from work
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Truly successful people do anything but work right before bed, Kerr says. They don’t obsessively check their email, and they try not to dwell on work-related issues.
Studies have found if you associate your bed with work, it’ll be much harder to relax there, so it’s essential you reserve your bed for sleep and sex only.
Disconnecting from work is important once you get home, and especially right before bed. It’s good to let your mind recharge, spend time doing something you enjoy, and feel ready to tackle the next day.
Work burnout may actually hinder your productivity by causing you to become easily irritated or stressed out. Taking time after work to fully disconnect from your job may actually increase your productivity the next day. You’ll be feeling fresh and ready to take on the day’s tasks.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
- 20 jobs that baby boomers loved in 1990 — but that millennials today just don’t want
- What you should do 15 minutes before a job interview — and what you should never do
- The 20 highest-paying jobs for women
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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Rachel Gillett)