Working From Home? How To Get Better Sleep

Working from home can be a convenience, but it can also disrupt your sleep. Your day may start and end at odd times due to an undefined schedule. If you struggle to sleep because your job takes place at home, here are some tips for better sleep.

Designate Work Hours

Whether you always work from home or have a hybrid workplace, it's sometimes hard to define precisely when your work hours begin and end. You may fret late at night about missing an email or text, especially if work conversations routinely extend past usual business hours.

Talk with your boss and coworkers and try to set up a schedule. If they know that you only check in during designated hours, you can hopefully sleep better knowing you can handle business in the daytime. Set an auto-reply message to alleviate concerns that someone may be waiting for your answer.

Keep a Routine

When work and home life blur together, your routine can go out the window. You aren't drawing a defining line between the two by leaving the house to work. That's why it's imperative to keep up a routine to keep your circadian rhythm in balance.

Wake up at the same time each morning. Start your day off right by eating a healthy breakfast and exercising. A walk outside can expose you to natural light, signaling to your brain that it's time to be awake.

Even if you don't have to look presentable during your work hours, taking a shower and getting dressed can help you feel more "normal" and functional. It may even help your productivity.

Try to have a cutoff time when you stop working for the day. It can help you mentally separate from work while freeing you to spend time with your family and doing leisure activities.

Unwinding at the end of the day also helps balance your circadian rhythms. Avoid screens for 30 minutes before bedtime to avoid exposing yourself to stimulating blue light that can keep you awake late.

Separate Work and Sleep Spaces

If you're plagued by insomnia while working from home, don't give in to the temptation to work in bed. Your regular workspace should be somewhere outside the bedroom if possible to help your brain understand that it is a place for sleeping.

If you must have your home office in the bedroom, try a physical barrier between your sleeping and job areas. Consider adding a decorative room divider to keep your bed out of view when you're at your desk, and vice versa.

Plan Worry Time

People often lie in bed and worry about unsolved problems, big projects or deadlines from the workday. This mind-racing usually occurs because you haven't had time to process your day, as you may do during a commute.

If your mind races with worry when you go to bed, try this exercise two or three hours before turning in:

1. Schedule 15 minutes of worry time.
2. During this period, make a page with two columns.
3. In the first column, write down your current issues or concerns.
4. In the second column, list three possible solutions for each situation.

After a few days of this exercise, your brain will hopefully learn that worry time is when you wrap up your thoughts for the day, and it can stop ruminating at night when you're trying to sleep.

Stay Active

Physical and mental activities are important ways to keep your sleep patterns regular. Physical exercise can help you sleep better at night, while enjoyable mental activities such as reading or talking to friends help you let go of work thoughts.

Aim for 30 minutes of moderate physical exercise each day. Try going for a walk outside to get fresh air and a change of atmosphere. Better yet, invite a friend to join you and get some mental activity by having a conversation while you walk.

Whether you choose to work from home or do so due to current circumstances, you can define your workday and the rest of your day. With a routine and some brain-training strategies, you can give yourself a better sense of normalcy so that you can sleep better.