Getting Organized for the Next Day Can Help You Sleep Better

Preparing for tomorrow’s adventures tonight can help you be more productive and help you sleep better. When you don’t get enough sleep, you may find yourself unfocused, unmotivated and struggling to remain positive. It is difficult to sleep well when stressing about what needs to be done the next day. You may experience fear of forgetting something important. Also, anxiety over the sheer volume of what needs to be done the following day is not uncommon either. The good news is that using your evening hours wisely can set you up for a better morning. Consider these things that you can do at night before bed.

Arrange Your Clothing
Decide what you will wear, set it out and do any necessary washing or ironing prior to bedtime. This can set the pace for your day and help you avoid getting behind right from the start. If you end up waking up late, you’ll already be ahead of the game. This could make the difference between getting to work on time or making a dreaded call to your boss. Another perk is you might dress better if you plan ahead. Most people aren’t morning people. If you pick out your attire when you are more fully awake you might make better choices. Just don’t forget to lay out your shoes too.

Make a List
Making a to-do list prior to sleeping will help put your mind at rest. You won’t have to worry about forgetting something important. How your list is constructed is up to you. Some people prefer to list out what needs done in order of priority. Others may list things out according to the day’s timeline. For example, if you need to give someone a ride to the airport at 9am, it would be high up on the list. Meeting friends for dinner? It would be lower. Many successful people use to-do lists including Billionaire Richard Branson. List making ensures that you start each day with a purpose. You can write down your list items on paper or even use one of many Apps. We carry our devices around everywhere. Having your day organized on your handheld device can make checking off line items fast and easy.

Apps for List Making
We don’t endorse any particular Apps but here are just a few that are out there. You can even use “Notes” in your phone. After all, you don’t have to be super high-tech to make a list.
• Any.do
• Things
• Todoist
• Ike
• Clear

Meal Planning
If one of the things that constantly gets added to your to-do list is grocery shopping, try meal planning. You can do this once a week or even the night before. Eating fast food or restaurant meals is less healthy. However, because we often don’t plan ahead, we can find ourselves hungry and tired without a plan. Each night, take a brief inventory of the ingredients you have in the kitchen or pantry. Then, decide what you can make using only items you already have. If you know you’ll have a long day the next day, you can aim for something that is easy to make. You can also pre-wash and cut vegetables needed for tomorrow’s meals. Need ingredients that you don’t have? Use the evening for grocery shopping so you don’t end up eating out tomorrow.

Early to Bed, Early to Rise
Sleep schedules are important for sleep quality. Aim to get the recommended amount of sleep for your age. Practice good sleep hygiene, including going to sleep and waking up at the same times daily. If possible, try to become an early riser. Many studies have proven that early risers are more productive, more focused, and have a more positive outlook on life. Harvard even proved that students who wake up early do better academically. Many successful executives and leaders have attributed this one habit to their success. To wake up early and still reach the recommended duration of sleep, you’ll have to go to sleep earlier.

Making lists may help calm your mind and preparing your meals and clothing before bed will save you time. Getting on a good sleep schedule improves sleep quality. When combined, these actions may help you become a more productive and more rested person.