Did you know that a great day begins the evening before? If you stay up late and don’t get at least 8 hours of rest, the probability of waking up energized and clear-headed is slim to none. You will be less patient and kind. Your cognitive thinking will be sub-optimal. Having a nightly routine that helps you create a ritual for getting nightly rejuvenation is crucial.

A good place to start is to determine what time you want to wake up, subtract a minimum of 9 hours, and use that to set the time the night before to wind down: unplug from all electronics, alerts, and stimulation one hour before bedtime. Consider taking a shower, reading, or meditation. Make sure your bedroom is dark, cool, and quite. Avoid thinking about tomorrow or the prior day. The compounded effect of this level of rest will help you be more productive in less time during your waking hours.