Q: Mattman, what do you wish people asked you but don't?
A: Duuuuuude, that's an easy one. Oftentimes people assume I go to bed at 8pm and wake up at 4am. They assume I have to have a bedtime similar to a toddler and life is no fun. I wished they would ask me what my bedtime and wake up times are!
At the beginning of every week, I sit down for five minutes and plan a sleep schedule. I also look at my bedtimes from last week and see how I did. What I am doing is taking inventory of my sleep cycles. If life has me feeling down in the dumps, I look at how much tie I am taking every day to allow my body to process stress and refuel itself. The human body is an amazing machine. Much like a car or anything with an engine, it needs to be kept up and taken care of. Getting a reasonable amount of sleep on a regular schedule is part of that maintenance plan.
So then what is my bedtime? It depends on the week! It depends on what I have planned. In 2022, I have seen a few curveballs like trips to other time zones and I have felt the impact of those changes. During those times of time fluctuations, I have seen and felt the impact on my productivity and mood. So I do my best to really hit the sleep schedule hard to get back on track. This summer, I'm scheduling my bedtime for 10:30-11pm and may wake up time from 6:00-6:30am. That is pretty late at night! In 2021, my bedtime was more like 9:30. But I have been really active these days! And I would rather have a later bedtime and respect my hard stop at 10:30 rather than plan an earlier time that I ignore. While I don't always stick to my sleep schedule 100% of the time, I find that making a plan prevents me from staying up needlessly late for a bed reason. But I also plan for later bedtimes leading up to really GOOD reasons to stay up like a concert or sporting event.
People misunderstand how to unlock superpowers with good sleep habits. They thing you have to sacrifice fun and go to bed early. Not true! What is important is that you get 7.5 hours of sleep every night. It's easier to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer when you are consistent with your bedtime. By following some basic fundamentals here, you can sleep like a superhero and begin to be awake like one! Want an easy sleep schedule planner? Text me at 704-498-4451. I'm your personal superhero sleep coach!