Do you ever work too hard, play too hard, or stay up too late? Sometimes I find myself burning the midnight oil, staying up too late for a few nights in a row. Here’s the problem: Too little sleep will burn you out. When you get burnt out you can’t focus or function right. You get behind. Bang! There goes your simple life.
Living a simple life can lead to increased productivity. When you own less you have less responsibility. When you learn to say no more often, you have more time. Less responsibilities and more time add up to increased productivity. Too little sleep can throw a wrench into the equation.
I’ve struggled with sleep for the past 15 or 20 years. I’ve seen doctors. I’ve had a sleep study done. I’ve tried meds. Nothing helped. Then I tried something else: I started going to bed at a consistent time. It was amazing. I started sleeping longer and more soundly. Still, over last summer, I slipped. I started staying up later. This led to less sleep which led to more stress.
Too Little Sleep Keeps You Running Behind
I’m a college instructor. In the summer I only teach one course. That’s a much lighter load than I teach the rest of the year. About three weeks into my summer session I felt like I was working full-time. It seemed like I was getting behind at work and at home. Upon short reflection, I discovered the problem. I was getting too little sleep. This caused me to be groggy and less focused. I wasn’t able to complete tasks as effectively or efficiently.
The solution was simple. I disciplined myself to get back on a consistent schedule. The results were encouraging. I started sleeping better.
Simple Tricks To Get More Sleep
See What Michael Hyatt Says About Sleep
Michael emphasizes productivity. That’s okay, but getting more sleep will help you in many other ways, too. You’ll have more energy. You’ll have more focus. You’ll have better overall health. You’ll be able to keep up on the basics of life without feeling stressed or frustrated. That will give you time to stop, think, and reflect. It’s in deep reflection that we find our greatest creative ideas. Greg McKeown discusses this in his book Essentialism. I highly recommend it.
Living simply leads to more peace. Too little sleep leads to less peace. It’s that simple.
Make A Point To Get More Sleep
You’ll be surprised at how much better you’ll feel. Life will feel less chaotic and more balanced. You’ll have more time for your favorite things. For me, that includes family, writing, music, gardening, and exercise. Getting more sleep has allowed me to get more done.
Buy my new ebook: Get Back To Where You Are: Finding Yourself In The Present Moment. You can also get my free ebook, The Happiness of Simple on PDF with a simple click. No sign up is required.
