Eight

Getting a good night's rest is the key to being more productive the next day. If you're groggy and running on even just 75% of a "charge," you're not going to be as efficient, alert, and productive during the day. While you probably already know what not to eat and do before bed (drinking caffeine, watching late-night TV, or scrolling through social media), there are select foods that may help you sleep better. Here are a few essential sleep-boosting foods to eat throughout the day and before bed to encourage the deepest, most effective sleep every night. Nuts Nuts like walnuts and almonds are known for their heart-healthy fats and are key parts of diets like the keto diet and other low-carb eating plans. In addition, they can also help you get a better night's sleep thanks to their supply of sleep-inducing melatonin. For better, deeper sleep that gives your mind the recharge it needs for the day ahead, try eating about a handful of al...

Sleep is everything, and despite what some entrepreneurs might tell you, you can't go without sleep altogether. Sure, some people need less sleep than others, but to be fully-optimized and at your best for the next day, you need to catch those Z’s. Just because you physically got into bed at 9 p.m. doesn’t mean that you got to bed early. How long did you spend scrolling through emails, social media, watching the game, or staring at the ceiling before you actually fell asleep? If you’re like most, probably far too long. Just being in bed isn’t good enough, and even just being asleep isn’t good enough in most cases either. If you want to optimize your performance for tomorrow, it all starts with getting superior-quality sleep tonight. And better sleep tonight starts today—as your habits through the day can impact your sleep. Control Your Light Exposure to Improve Your Sleep Bright lights mean it’s time to be alert and active, low lights mean it’s time for bed—...

Although it feels nice in the moment, hitting the snooze button is essentially postponing and putting the rest of your day on hold. Whether you want to be more productive or are just tired of running around the house to get ready every morning, it's time to address the primary way many people sabotage themselves at the start of the day. Why You Shouldn’t Hit Snooze Hitting snooze—although it seems like a blessing when you're exhausted—is actually hurting your sleep quality as those extra 9 minutes don't provide any benefits since it's not enough time for a sleep cycle. Instead, all you're doing is postponing the inevitable, and you'll be even more groggy when the alarm goes off again. Creating this cycle of hitting snooze every morning is a bad habit that far too many people have. You’re essentially training your brain to recognize the alarm as the cue to hit the snooze and sleep more rather than to wake up. This fragmented sleep can also neg...