Getting a good night’s sleep does more than just make you feel raring to go in the morning. More than strong coffee, improving your quality of sleep can have a knock-on effect on your overall focus, particularly at work. So by sleeping better, you can be more productive in the day.
The best way to improve your sleep quality is by making sure both your mental and physical health are in top condition, while a healthy lifestyle can also help your sleep. The good news is that there are some clever bits of tech to help you focus on these factors and to manage your sleep routine too.
While tech is often blamed for keeping us up at night, these handy techniques will help you drift off with ease and wake up refreshed and ready to go.
Make a routine
The best way to get better sleep is to stick to a routine. Going to sleep and waking up at the same time each morning and night allows your body to get into a rhythm. While you can always find a reason to stay up a little later – or sleep in a little longer – there are plenty of tools to help the process.
Smart speakers like the Google Nest allow you to set your very own sleep and wake routines, to remind you when it’s time to get ready for bed, and when to get up. Smart Watches can also be handy for this too. Your watch can subtly let you know when you should be winding down for the night, and the tactile alarm can wake you up, without waking others.
Track your sleep
We all go through different stages while we’re asleep, from light to REM sleep where we dream, and then to deep sleep where our bodies can properly recover. It’s difficult to know how much quality sleep you’ve had based on how long you’ve been asleep, but there are other ways to tell.
Wearable devices, such as smartwatches and smart rings will not only tell you how long you’ve slept but can actually break down the stages of sleep you’ve had. Metrics such as heart rate variability and breathing rate can also give you key information about your quality of sleep.
Exercise
Physical exercise can also help you to sleep better. The exertion will make you more tired and ready to rest – while good sleep will help your muscles recover and able to work harder in the future.
You can use a smartwatch to set yourself exercise goals and log your progress, to make sure you hit those targets. Many devices employ a form of gamification, to help make hitting those targets more fun, and encourage you to go for more.
Better your mental health
Stresses at home and work can have negative effects on your sleep, so it’s just as important to focus on this as your physical health. Apps such as Calm can provide ways to relax you, through meditation, stories and music.
We’re all guilty of spending too much time on the internet, so set a time to put electronic devices away and relax. EE’s Smart Hub Plus allows you to restrict the Wi-Fi to selected devices at certain times of the day. By limiting the data to your phone or laptop, you can remove the temptation to keep scrolling or to watch another episode of the latest streaming series.
To help keep a healthy work-life balance, enjoy great EE offers on the Calm app. Plus, save £20 a month on new, unlimited data mobile plans, when you choose EE Broadband. For more on powering your home working, visit ee.co.uk/work
