How to Create a Simple Sleep Routine for Odd Work Schedules

As a freelance artist myself, years ago I used to prioritize my current projects and sleep was an afterthought. If I had lots to work on, I would go to sleep at 3 am and wake up after breakfast. The next day could be completely different depending on my workload, but that was due to my lack of time management. I learned from my mistakes, and I keep a consistent schedule every single day. oh, the difference it makes!

Ideally, a sleep routine that aligns with our natural cycles—going to bed around 10 p.m. and waking up at 7 a.m., getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep—is best for optimal daytime performance. Going to bed late because of hobbies or activities that we can reschedule or have more discipline to stop at a reasonable time requires some self-assessment. First, evaluate these activities to determine how to get to bed at a better time. For example, if you’re a casual gamer who struggles to go to bed earlier, it might be time to shift your habits toward a healthier bedtime. If having an optimal sleeping hour is a bad habit for you, let me know in the comments down below so I can make a post all about it! How to gradually and gently shift your sleeping schedule for a healthier lifestyle.

This blog post is focused on people who have an unusual sleeping schedule out of necessity. Whether it’s crunch time at a studio, looming deadlines for freelancers, or dealing with time-zone differences, these factors can force us into irregular sleep patterns. Sticking to our natural cycles is out of the window, but we can still aim for the next best thing: consistently getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep each day. Without a proper sleep routine, you might find yourself struggling with fatigue, reduced focus, and even burnout. But establishing a sleep schedule that fits your unique lifestyle doesn’t have to be complicated. In this article, we’ll explore simple, actionable steps to help you create a sleep routine that works with, not against, your odd work hours, so you can wake up refreshed and ready to tackle your creative endeavors!

Understanding Your Unique Sleep Needs

Let’s start by explaining the circadian rhythm. Understanding this simple concept builds a strong foundation for the next steps. Think of your circadian rhythm as your internal natural clock, this clock works on a 24-hour schedule and it tells you when to wake up, when to feel sleepy, and even when to eat. The biggest influence on this clock is light and darkness, when the sun rises your body gets the signal that it’s time to wake up and be active. As the day goes on and it gets darker, your body starts to wind down, preparing to sleep. Following this natural cycle helps synchronize you with the day and night cycle, making sure you sleep enough and stay energized during the day. Disruptors such as artificial lights (phones, computers, TVs), caffeine and other stimulants, jet lag, lack of natural light exposure, inconsistent meals, and stress can interfere with your internal clock. By being aware of these disruptors, you can take steps to minimize their impact and keep your circadian rhythm on track.

With some science out of the way, let’s start figuring out your unique sleep needs. There is not a one-size-fits-all when it comes to sleep, especially for those with unconventional work hours. Think about how much sleep you need to function at your best. While the standard recommendation is about 8 hours per night, your ideal amount might be different.

Do you feel energized after 7 hours? or do you need a full 9 hours to feel your best? If you are unsure, take note of how many hours you sleep per night and experiment with timing. For one week, set your alarm for 7 hours of sleep and observe your energy levels. If you find it insufficient, try 8 hours the following week, and assess again. Finally, try 9 hours. Knowing your optimal sleep duration will help you create a routine that leaves you feeling refreshed, no matter when you hit the pillow.

Now that you know your magic number, we can move on to consistency. Even if your work hours are all over the place, try to maintain a regular sleep window, Aim to go to bed and wake up at about the same times every day. Emphasis on “Sleep window”, this keeps your schedule flexible. For example, you might have a 30-minute window to accommodate last-minute work adjustments if needed. This consistency helps your body recognize when it’s time to wind down and when it’s time to wake up, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep, even with an unusual schedule.

A word on napping

Napping can be a useful tool if you didn’t get enough sleep the night before. Keep your naps short and sweet—10 to 20 minutes, also known as power naps—to avoid the groggy feeling that can come with longer naps. Avoid napping too close to your bedtime, as it can interfere with your ability to fall asleep later. Instead, nap in a quiet, comfortable place, darken the room, and use earplugs or other tools to create a cozy environment. A comfortable setting makes power naps more effective.

Listen to your body. If napping makes you feel more tired or disrupts your nighttime sleep, you might need to adjust the timing, duration, or frequency of your naps. Conversely, if naps leave you feeling revitalized and more focused, they can be a valuable addition to your daily routine. Finally, use naps strategically—consider napping before work or before tackling a demanding task to boost your energy.

Assessing and Creating Your Schedule

Before creating your sleep routine, it’s important to review your current daily schedule. By understanding your work hours, shifts, and free time, you can incorporate a full 8 hours of sleep (or however many you need!) into your existing routine.

Start by mapping your work hours. Do you have a set schedule, or does it vary from day to day? Are you working night shifts, early mornings, late nights, rotating shifts? Identifying the times you need to be awake and alert will give you a clear picture of when you need to sleep. Now, take a look at free time blocks. Consider family time, social activities, and your hobbies. See if you can adjust these activities to create a block of uninterrupted time for sleep.

This is a very simple step to do (and that is the beauty of it!). By taking the time to think about your day and putting it into paper, you realize that maybe can move this one hobby back activity by 30 minutes, you’ve been spending 40 minutes scrolling through TikTok, and maybe you’d want to swap that for some audiobook and a chill screen-less activity and that makes you push your freelance job back by 20 minutes. and hey! just by visualizing what your day looks like, you now have an extra hour of sleep. If you haven’t realized by now, I’m a big proponent of some basic time management and how much it helps make us aware and accountable for how we spend our time. I’ve often been surprised by how much time I spend on activities without realizing it!

It’s also important to maintain your sleep schedule on your days off. Keeping consistent sleep and wake times will help align your internal clock, improving the quality of your sleep. Sleeping in on your days off can make it harder for your body to follow your regular schedule on workdays.

If in your case, your work is too unpredictable to create a semi-consistent schedule, you can skip this part and focus on creating a routine outlined in the steps below!

Establishing a Sleep Environment

Your environment plays a significant role in how you fall asleep and how deep you rest, which ultimately affects your energy levels, creativity, and overall well-being. Here are some tips to keep your room comfortable and relaxing.

Lighting

As mentioned earlier, light and darkness have a big effect on your circadian rhythm. To promote restful sleep, aim to keep your room as dark as possible, especially if you are sleeping when the sun is out. Consider blackout curtains, reduce your exposure to screens (or turn on night mode), and if you need some light opt for warm-colored dim lamps or a soft warm nightlight. Smart light bulbs are another good option. An hour before you go to sleep, dim the lights and keep them warm-toned to help prepare your body for restful sleep.

Keep the room cool

The ideal sleep temperature is somewhere around 60-67°F (15-19°C). If your room tends to be on the warm side, consider a fan or air conditioning to cool it down. Conversely, if your room is on the cooler side, you can opt for cozy blankets, weighted blankets, or electric-heated ones. Adjusting your thermostat can also create a comfortable environment.

Minimize noise

Noise can be an annoying sleep disruptor. If you live in a noisy area or you live with roommates/partner/family with different schedules than you do, consider using earplugs or a white noise machine to down out any sounds that might be disrupting you. Some people find nature sounds or calming music helpful. Experiment with different sounds to discover what creates a peaceful sleep environment for you.

Remove distractions

If you can keep your work and your sleep environment and life separate, do so. Keep your laptop, gaming consoles, or unfinished projects in your bedroom. By psychological association, it helps to condition your brain to know that the bedroom means it is time to get ready for sleep. If separating these spaces is challenging, you can use a simple trick: train your mind to associate the CORRECT version of your bed solely with sleep by altering its appearance. For example, use a bed cover during the day (wrong bed configuration) and remove it at night (correct bed configuration), or take off the bedding during the day and add it back at night.

The same physical objects take on different identities in your mind if you alter something about them.

Here are some additional tips if you work and sleep in the same room:

• Create a Physical Separation: Use furniture or a room divider to create a visual boundary.
• Declutter: At the end of your day, clean up your workspace, clear away papers, put away your laptop, and remove work-related items from your desk. This signals your brain that it’s time to sleep.
• Use a Desk or Table: Instead of working from your bed, set up a small table or desk in a corner if possible. This helps your brain associate your bed with sleep, not with tasks.
• Discipline: Set boundaries with technology, put away devices, and consider setting your phone to “Do Not Disturb.”

Choosing the right bedding

Invest in good-quality mattresses and pillows that support your preferred sleep position and preference. Choose soft sheets and extra blankets. TConsider materials—natural fibers such as cotton, linen, and bamboo are breathable, warm, and comfortable. If you have allergies, opt for hypoallergenic bedding. Beyond comfort, quality bedding also enhances the aesthetics of your room! a pleasing room with bedding that looks inviting and feels luxurious reinforces your night routine.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy can be a powerful tool for improving sleep by using the natural properties of essential oils to create a calming and sleep-friendly environment. You can use a diffuser, or a pillow spray, add a few drops to your evening bath, or you can dilute it with a carrier oil for topical use. Calming scents include Lavender, Bergamot, Chamomile, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, and clary sage, but you can experiment to find your favorite. A word of caution: essential oils can be toxic to pets, especially cats. If your pet sleeps with you, avoid diffusing oils in your room. Instead, choose topical use or a bed spray if your pet does not sleep on your pillow.

Pre-sleep rituals

We’ve reached my favorite part! For creatives and content creators who often juggle demanding schedules and mental workloads, establishing these rituals can make a significant difference in the quality of your sleep. The wonderful thing about a wind-down routine is that it can be performed at any time; what’s important to your brain is the activities themselves, not the specific hour. You could be going to sleep at 5 am, but if you perform your wind-down routine, it will help prepare your brain for rest.

The Importance of a Wind-Down Routine

Establishing a set of calming and relaxing activities that you do every night can train your brain to associate these activities or actions with sleep, making it so much easier to transition from your busy lives to a restful night. The creative mind is often full of ideas, plans, and thoughts which can make it difficult to switch off at the end of your work time, a wind-down routine can help you clear your mind and let go of the day’s events. When you follow the same steps every single night, this conditions your body to expect sleep, thus reinforcing your sleep schedule. not only does it help you go to sleep, but it improves the quality of your sleep as well, as you do your calming activities of choice your body enters a relaxed state, leading to a deeper rest.

Here are some ideas you can add to your sleep routine

• Read a Novel/Graphic Novel/Manga (Personal favorite! It helps lower my brain activity efficiently. Transitioning from a fast-paced game or brainstorming art session to reading is the perfect gradual shift to sleep for me.)
• Practice meditation
• Breathing exercises
• Light yoga or gentle stretching
• Journaling
• Drink herbal tea (Avoid tea with caffeine)
• Hot bath or shower
• Listening to calming music
• Do your skincare
• Gratitude list

Limit fluid intake before bed. Staying hydrated during the day is super important, but drinking too much liquid right before bed can lead to trips to the bathroom during the night disrupting you from rest. Try not to drink any water an hour or two before bed, If you’re thirsty, a small sip of water is fine.

Avoid stimulants. Caffeine (in coffee, energy drinks, black tea) and nicotine can make it difficult to fall asleep as they increase alertness and energy levels.

Avoid heavy meals. Heavy, rich, or spicy meals can cause discomfort and indigestion. Try to finish your meals 2 or 3 hours before sleep to give your body enough time to digest it. if you get hungry, opt for light snacks like fruit and nuts.

Tracking and Adjusting Your Sleep Routine

Monitoring your sleep quality and being proactive about adjustments can significantly impact your overall health, productivity, and creativity. Regularly monitoring your sleep quality helps you understand how well your current sleep routine is serving you. By keeping an eye on how rested you feel, how often you wake up during the night, and how easy it is to fall asleep, you can spot patterns and make necessary adjustments. This proactive approach helps ensure that you’re getting the restorative sleep you need to perform your best in your creative and professional endeavors.

Tools for tracking your sleep

• Smartphone apps: Sleep apps such as Shuteye, BetterSleep, Pillow, or Sleepwatch can track your sleep stages, provide insights into your habits, and even offer gentle wake-up alarms.
• Wearables: Devices like the Oura Ring, Apple Watch, Garmin, and others can monitor sleep patterns more accurately and provide detailed reports on your sleep quality.
• Sleep journal: For a more hands-on approach, keep a sleep journal by your bedside to record when you go to bed when you wake up, and how you feel in the morning. This can help you identify trends over time.

Recognizing signs of sleep deprivation

Sleep deprivation can have serious consequences on your overall health as well as your productivity. It’s important to recognize early signs such as daytime sleepiness/fatigue, irritability and mood changes, difficulty concentrating, memory issues, reduced libido, and a weakened immune system. If you rely on caffeine to stay awake or you struggle to stay focused on your task, those could be signs you’re suffering from sleep deprivation. Addressing these issues by improving your sleep schedule and routine or by seeking medical help can prevent more serious issues down the line.

Knowing when to adjust your routine

Life isn’t always the same, sometimes you’re more stressed, and changes in your work schedule or personal life, can all affect your sleep needs.  If you notice that you’re feeling more tired during the day, having trouble falling asleep, or waking up frequently during the night, it might be time to reassess your sleep routine. For example, if your work schedule shifts to earlier mornings or late nights, you may need to adjust your bedtime or incorporate more relaxation techniques into your routine to accommodate these changes. Being flexible and responsive to your body’s needs is key to maintaining good sleep hygiene.

Conclusion

Navigating an irregular or unpredictable work schedule doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your sleep. Prioritizing sleep quality, regularly monitoring your rest, and staying flexible with your routine can give you the restorative sleep you need, even when your schedule isn’t ideal. Begin by creating a wind-down routine that works for you to signal your body it’s time to sleep. Incorporate calming activities to unwind. use tools to track your sleep patterns and don’t hesitate to make adjustments if you need to, especially if your work hours shift or you are noticing signs of sleep deprivation.

Keep in mind the big picture. When tracking your sleep over a period of three months, aim for averages that reflect consistency: about 8 hours of sleep, with a regular sleep and wake time, and good overall sleep quality. It’s okay if your sleep deviates occasionally—like if you binge-watch a show and stay up later than usual. However, these should be exceptions rather than the norm. The goal is to maintain a consistent sleep routine for the majority of the time to ensure you get the restorative rest you need.

Remember, your sleep is the foundation of your overall health, productivity, and creativity. By taking a proactive approach to managing your sleep routine, you’re not only enhancing your well-being but also setting yourself up for success in your creative and professional life.

If this article made things easier for you, I’d love it if you shared it with your friends and anyone who might need it!

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