Beat Procrastination by Going to Bed by 9:30. Every Day.
This is part of my How to Stop Procrastinating series.
Hey, friends!
Who here procrastinates? (Everyone raises their hand.) Who here feels exhausted? (Everyone raises their hand.) Think that’s a coincidence?
We stumble through our days in a haze, sleep-deprived and unmotivated to start all but the most essential tasks. (Some days, we can’t even do those.)
Now, we have many ways to feel more rested and less exhausted. The best (and most obvious!) antidote is to go to bed earlier. And not just earlier—I recommend setting a personal bedtime for 9:30 PM. Every day. Even on weekends.
This suggestion will rankle some readers, I know. But hear me out.
Our bodies have a circadian rhythm, and we evolved to be awake when the sun is up and to be asleep when the sun is down. Our brains evolved to spike cortisol first thing in the morning, which wakes us up. And our brains evolved to produce melatonin 16 hours later, which helps us sleep.
When we stay up late, we disrupt our circadian rhythm. We don’t sleep as well, nor as long as our bodies need. Is it any surprise we wake up feeling tired and fatigued and frazzled?
Sleep deprivation is an illegal torture method outlawed by the Geneva Convention and international courts, but most of us do it to ourselves.
— Ryan Hurd
Our exhaustion impairs impulse control. It promotes procrastination. Who has time for that?
Getting enough sleep is the best antidote to procrastination. When you’re drowsy, drained, and dead tired, positive affirmations won’t recharge your willpower and restore your self-control.
Why fight your biology? Instead, align with your body's circadian rhythm: strive to wake up when the sun rises; strive to prepare for bed when the sun sets. Strive to be consistent. Even on weekends.
(This isn’t possible for some people, e.g., night-shift workers, certain physical causes such as restless leg, and so on. As with all Internet advice, use good judgment.)
Personally, I go to bed by 9:30 PM every day. Even on weekends. I also get up between 5:30 and 6:00 AM, which gives me plenty of time to sleep.
Let’s look at the difference in energy levels between now and back when I stayed up late binging TV shows.
This lifestyle choice has many benefits:
I procrastinate less and have more energy.
I work on side projects in the morning when my energy levels are the highest.
I eat dinner earlier and feel better (less overeating, less heartburn, less weight gain.)
I watch less TV. (On our deathbed, will we wish we’d watched more TV?)
Most mornings, I feel pretty good. Don’t get me wrong, I still get tired, especially in the evening. But I spend a smaller percentage of my day feeling worn out than when I was a night owl.
Having a 9:30 bedtime might sound extreme. But being chronically exhausted (and constantly procrastinating) is an extreme way to live. Being perpetually dog-tired (and continually postponing life goals) is an extreme way to live. Going to bed early—and feeling good—is far less extreme.
So try it for a week. Go to bed by 9:30 PM every day.
It’ll change your life.
Read more on How to Stop Procrastinating.
Thanks to Brynn Stewart and Thomas Weigel for reading drafts of this!