Essential tactics for conquering sleep deprivation and burnout
Most of the time when we travel for business, we always want to do a lot for a shorter period than we shall be there., so you may end up fatigued and loss of focus which calls you for stepping away and take a break. The less stressed you are throughout the day, the easier you will find it is to settle down and finish all the pending things that you must finish.
So I will give you some tactics that you can use when you find yourself in such a situation.
1 Sleep enough
Sleep is a biological need, you need to take enough rest it is necessary to just sacrifice a few hours work and extend your sleep. Your brain is not as efficient when you aren’t well-rested. There is no point in operating below capacity. A few hours of lost sleep combined with business travel significantly reduces performance.
2 Focus on progress other than perfection
Yes I know, you want to maximize your travel so that it is worth it, as you commit to practising better sleep, you are likely to experience a few bounces back, always remember progress is more important than perfection.
3 Exercise and stay hydrated
It has been proven that those who exercise during their travel trip performed an amazing 61% better than those who did not exercise. So I will advise that you pick a time that is convenient for you either during morning hours or later in the day.
4 Choose great room amenities
This is the things that can lead to a night of good sleep. A great bed and beddings, Earplugs and eye covers, blackout curtains, relaxing or sleep-promoting music, variety of pillows and wake up calls. If you can ensure that you can access those items in your room then be assured that you will have a great sleep.
5 Let the sunshine in
During the day including meetings, try to let as much light into the room as possible, then stay active whether when talking or just taking notes.
6 Cut caffeine
I will not say avoid, but I will simply put it like this, caffeine can keep you awake, it stays in your body longer than you may think for up to like 14 hours, so I would advise cutting caffeine for at least 4 -6 hours before your bedtime as this can result to lack of sleep.
7 Moderate alcohol consumption
Alcohol may initially help in falling asleep but later as your body clears it from your system it can cause sleep disturbance like sleep, nightmares and headache this can cause you to have poor sleep later on. I will not say avoid alcohol, but I will advise moderating the amount you take and also supplement it by taking enough water after every glass of alcoholic beverage consumed. I will also advise restricting nicotine by avoiding a smoke just before bed, although it feels relaxing in the real sense, it put a stimulant into your bloodstream.
8 Relax before bedtime
Of course, you have been up and down, maybe attending a lot of meeting, you are tired and all you want is to sleep because you are tired and maybe stressed. Good to know is that stress not only makes you miserable but it also affects your sleep. It is good to develop a pre-sleep routine where you spend like 10 minutes before sleeping to do light stretching, light reading or taking a hot bath, this helps to break the connection between all the stress during the day and bedtime.
9 Eat right means sleep tight
Food also plays an important role in having a good sleep, try as much as possible no matter how tired you are to go to bed hungry, although don’t eat too much before bedtime this is because an over fully belly can keep you up. Take the right measure of food and correct combination and be assured you will have a great sleep.
I hope these tips will help you have enough sleep so that you can maximise on your business trip.