Consistent Bedtimes Unlock Peak Productivity Like a Box of Chocolates

Life's Like a Box of Chocolates and Sleep's the Sweetest One

Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates you never know what you're gonna get. But these experts they’re sayin' life's more predictable if you get your sleepin' sorted. Seems like most folks got a regular time for wakin' up but bedtimes are all over the place. And that they say is why you might feel like you ain't got enough time in the day. It's like tryin' to catch a runaway shrimp boat – chaotic.

Run Forrest Run... to Bed on Time

This time management lady Laura Vanderkam she says without good sleep habits you can be okay productive but not *always* focused. And when you ain't focused tasks pile up and you rush. And like when I was playin' ping pong if I rushed I'd miss the ball. Same thing here – rushin' makes mistakes. And then you gotta go back and fix 'em and that wastes even more time. You know speaking of running have you read India's Strategic Ambiguity Navigating Trade Truces and Russian Oil Riddles? Figuring out international relations can be just as tricky as figuring out bedtimes.

Stupid is as Stupid Does... When You're Tired

Vanderkam says people might get enough sleep overall in a week but it's all mixed up. One night they stay up too late; the next they crash on the couch. Weekends are a whole other story. In her study folks who set a bedtime thought it was the least exciting thing but it made the biggest difference. It's like Jenny said about havin' a place to belong – sleep gives your day a place to start and end.

We Were Always Together Like Peas and Carrots... and Regular Sleep

Some fancy pants study in a journal called Nature found the same thing. They watched a bunch of grown ups in Japan and saw that if their bedtimes were all over the place they weren't as good at their jobs and didn't care as much. A bedtime Vanderkam says shapes your whole day. It shows you how much time you got so you can plan better. It's like knowin' how much shrimp you gotta catch before the sun goes down.

Momma Said 'Put Your Feet Up and Get Some Rest'

Vanderkam sets her bedtime at 11 p.m. She says it helps her make better choices about what she can actually do in a day. A sleep doctor Rachel Salas says messed up sleep can mess with your body's sleep wake thingy your circadian rhythm. To find yours see when you wake up without an alarm for a few days then tweak it a bit if you need to. It's like findin' the right speed to paddle your boat – not too fast not too slow.

And That's All I Have to Say About That... Sleep

Salas says sleep is super important for thinkin' rememberin' and even digestin'. She says she can't think of anything sleep *isn't* important for. Most grown ups need 'bout seven hours of sleep but everyone's different. Figure out how much sleep makes you feel sharp then count backward from when you gotta wake up to find your bedtime. It's like knowin' how many miles you gotta run then startin' at the right time to get there. So as I always say "Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite." That's what I have to say about that.