Don’t like the idea of waking up too early in the morning to work? Well, despite the fact that it’s quite beneficial for someone looking to achieve a lot in one day, not everyone is good at it. Most of the times you’ll go to sleep late for one reason or another making it harder for you to wake up early in the morning.
The good news is, you always have an option of being a night owl. You can do it like the owls do it that is, changing your day to night. Besides, night owl stereotypes have been proven to be highly productive compared to early risers. Unfortunately, just like waking up early in the morning, working at night is never easy. You need to be used to it.
Luckily, if you are fond of sleeping late, you’ll only need to make a few adjustments, unlike an early riser. In this article, I’ve compiled for you few tips and tricks on how to become come a highly productive night owl.
Turn your bedroom into a sleep-friendly environment
If you are planning to sleep late so as to work on your tougher tasks, you need to change your sleeping pattern. Usually, it is suggested that you sleep for seven to eight hours every night. If your aim is to work till late and sleep at 3 am in the morning, you’ll have to wake at 10 a.m.
But how do you turn your bedroom into a sleep haven? Simple, keep the lights out. You make this easier by switching off the lights and covering your windows with dark opaque curtains. Also, you need to do away with noise. Switch off your music system and ensure that your door and walls are sound proof to keep away outside noises.
When to take your cup of coffee
Coffee is the best remedy for those looking forward to staying awake. Just like taking it in the morning hours to make the rest of your day brighter, drinking a cup of coffee at night will keep you awake and focused on your work throughout the night.
But when should you take it? How much should you take? This is where it gets tricky. When working at night, you might be tempted to take several cups of coffee to keep up with the cold. Don’t do this. Coffee can keep you awake for approximately 6-8 hours so if you happen to take it at night, let’s say at 3 am, you’ll not be able to sleep until after 8 hours, which is 11am.
Avoid the habit of oversleeping
Just like waking up late in the morning, oversleeping can ruin your night hours. By sleeping too much, your body will get used to sleeping longer hours, meaning that you’ll feel sleepy even when it is not appropriate. Besides, it is a waste of time and money. So, stick to a particular number of hours.
In our case, for a person who is planning to work late, it is vital to sleep at least seven to eight hours. If you have other sleep complications such as sleep apnea, you’ll have to sleep earlier. You should also avoid other bad sleeping habits such as taking sleeping pills regularly, forcing sleep and more.
Don’t waste your night hours doing nothing
You are sleeping late so that you can do some work, right? Why spend precious time on Twitter and Facebook when you are nearing a deadline? Plus you are trying to be a highly productive night owl, and that is the main reason you’ve changed your days into nights. Unless it is a weekday or some holiday and you don’t have anything to do, it is vital that you stay focused on your tasks so as to improve your productivity.
Choose a job that encourages the path you’ve taken
You can’t be a night owl when you are required to report to your workplace before 8 am the next day. In fact, you need to be an early bird to do that. In today’s world where technology rules, some organizations encourage night shifts. There are also those organizations that will set for you a target to achieve after some period. If your job supports both day and night shifts, choose night shift. If it is about hitting targets, find out if you can complete your tasks at home so that you work on it at night.
Avoid multitasking
One thing that makes working late a challenge is multitasking. Remember that your brain might not be used to the fact that your day is turned to night. Even when you’ve had a cup of coffee, you’ll still feel dizzy. The last thing you want to do when you are feeling sleepy is working on more than one project. Besides, it compromises the quality of your work. So, try and focus on one thing at a time.
Avoid eating late at night
A lot of people who work at night are always tempted to eat late at night. Keep in mind that this might be your fourth meal, meaning that you’ll be eating too much that is also not a better idea if you are trying to stay healthy. Plus, eating at night in your workstation will encourage sleep.
Exercise
Exercising, a few hours in a day, is known to work best for night owls. However, you can’t do it the same way early birds do it. You’ll need a special routine that fits your lifestyle. Let’s take an example; you are planning to sleep at 3 am and plan to wake up at 10 am. Most experts recommend that you leave a few hours between your workout time and bed time, meaning that you’ll have to do it at night. You can try and find out if there is a 24-hour gym around your place or buy yourself a home gym such as a treadmill and some weights.
The Bottom Line
Waking up early in the morning is a great plan for a person looking forward to achieving a lot in one day. Unfortunately, it is never easy especially for a person who is fond of sleeping late. The good news is, you can choose to be a night owl, meaning that you’ll transform your days into nights to make your work easier. However, to achieve a lot in one night, you’ll need to employ a few tips mentioned above plus choose a job that accepts a night owl lifestyle. Or better yet, be your own boss!
About the author:
This article is written by Mohit Tater who is SEO and marketing expert and blogs at entrepreneurshiplife.com and mohittater.com. Apart from advising clients on SEO and marketing strategies, he also runs an investment firm BlackBook Investments that helps people invest in online businesses and digital assets. When he is not working (which is almost never!) he likes to read, travel the world and connect with other entrepreneurs.