If you've spent any time researching workplace productivity, you'd know the importance of a good night's sleep on hump day.
After all, it's right in the middle of the working week and can likely dictate how much work you'll get done on Thursday and Friday. So, if you want to feel good when the next Wednesday comes around, and actually have a “happy hump day“, here are some tips for getting a good night's sleep.
Table of Contents
Add a header to begin generating the table of contents
A trap a lot of people may fall into is treating every week like a reset button. So, they go out and party on the weekend, spend too little time sleeping, overwork themselves on Monday and Tuesday in order to feel productive, and then act like the following weekend will reset the clock back to zero.
Unfortunately, sleep doesn't work like that. In fact, there's a phenomenon called sleep debt that corresponds to all the hours of required sleep you lost during the past fourteen days. And just like with real debt, it catches up to you sooner or later.
When it does catch up, it's not pretty. Not getting enough sleep at night comes with a slew of problems, from little inconveniences like a bad mood to major health risks like high blood pressure. And in a working environment, this can make for quite the impact.
After a few consecutive restless nights, you might experience brain fog, which will make coming up with new innovative ideas quite difficult. Or you might sense a sudden drop in your motivation, which can rub off on your coworkers and friends alike.
So, feeling good on a Wednesday isn't so much a perk as it is a necessity if you want an optimal workplace environment. And there's actual proof of concept as well!
Ever since 2018, Versa has done the unthinkable and done away with the 5-day work week. But instead of just giving everyone one long weekend, they decided to close their doors on Wednesday instead.
Believe it or not, this one decision saw a 46% profit increase and an 11% increase in staff retention! And we're willing to bet that it's because people felt less pressure to always be on top of things and spent more time during the night sleeping than pulling their hair out.
So, even though we can't say with 100% certainty that this monumental business increase was only due to a better sleeping schedule – we'd be willing to bet it had a very significant impact.
We've discussed why it's important to have good sleep in order to have a good day, now let's discuss how you can achieve it. Sure, not every tip will apply to every person, but we think most people will see huge benefits if they follow along with these sleep practices!
Making a solid routine is one of the best ways to better your overall sleep quality. For one, if you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, your body will grow accustomed to it. So, you'll naturally feel sleepy when it comes time to go to bed and you won't feel like you're dying when it's time to wake up.
This will also make it more likely that you'll get the sleep duration you need every night, thus cutting down on sleep debt and avoiding feeling tired during the day. So, trust us when we say that a consistent sleeping schedule is your friend.
Plus, you can make the routine suit your needs. Even simple things like a two-minute stretch before bed or a morning walk can have a positive impact. And you can still have a great time on the weekends if you're smart about how you structure things.
So, if you don't know where to start, we recommend you read our ideal bedtime routine guide.
Making your bedroom the ideal fortress of sleep is way more impactful and way easier than some people think. So, let's start off with the basics.
If possible, make sure that your room is completely dark when you go to bed. The last thing you'd want is for a bright light to throw you out of whack. But on the flip side, come morning, try to get as much sunlight as you can.
This is because this helps your circadian rhythm catch up to speed and gives you some of that much-needed energy. In fact, you can even wake up without an alarm clock, which you can read more about in our waking up early naturally article.
Our second tip is to distance work from your bedroom. So, try not to work out or file your taxes in your bedroom if possible. This is because once you start associating your bedroom with stress and responsibilities, it can become very difficult to relax and fall asleep.
So, try not to make working from bed a normal habit but instead let it be a sleep sanctuary inside and outside of your head.
Now that you know how to get the perfect night's sleep every night, let's talk about what else you can do in order to get through that midweek slump. After all, good sleep while it will help a lot, won't always fix the issue entirely!
Having a consistent exercise schedule can only do you good in the grand scheme of things. It helps you fall asleep faster, makes creating a routine easier, brings along health benefits, and helps with self-image issues – it's the whole package!
Plus, you can strategically put Wednesday as your PR day, so that it will feel more significant. And if you do manage to break your previous record, you get a nice confidence boost as well! Just be careful and don't overexert yourself.
If you want to be happy on Wednesday, it's best if you're happy every day! So, things like guided meditation, yoga, or keeping a journal can help you feel happier and more relaxed throughout the week.
Of course, if you're battling demons that can't be vanquished with a cup of hot tea, seeking professional help is also an excellent idea. But we can't really decide which practice will best suit you – so, give it some thought!
What we can do however is recommend some excellent weighted blankets! It's what we know here at The Sleep Advisors, and weighted blankets have been shown to help with stress and anxiety!
Keeping your head up during hump day can be somewhat difficult. It's right in the middle of the work week and we all tend to feel a bit unmotivated during that time. However, if you get some proper sleep and have the right attitude, this becomes an issue that you can overcome!
So, try out the tips we've listed so far and see how it goes! And if you want to upgrade your bedroom further, just browse The Sleep Advisors website for all the best sleeping gear recommendations.
