Collaboration software and sleep – two concepts that you rarely see together in the same sentence. But the nature of your free time will definitely have an impact on your work performance, and sleep is one of the areas where many people suffer. 

Do you normally snooze way too many times? Like to lie in on the weekend? Night person coping with early starts? Before you grab your caffeinated beverage of choice, let’s explore some other options that can save you time in the morning and give you better sleep at night.

Remote working

Using efficient and super-friendly collaboration software can enable you to work from home. This can drastically cut down on time spent commuting and getting ready for work, instead giving extra time for shut-eye. If you normally arrive at work by 9am, you may have to get up at 6am to get ready, and then do battle with other drivers in rush hour during the daily commute. When telecommuting you can easily extend your sleep by an hour, or even more, which will make all the difference to your sleep-deprived self.

Sleep condition

It’s not always the number of hours of sleep that matters, but the quality of it. If sleep quality is high, you may get away with less hours in bed.

- Avoid caffeine late at night. Depending on your tolerance to caffeine, avoid drinks that contain the stimulant for at least 6 hours before going to sleep.

- Shut off screens at least an hour before bed. The glare from a computer, phone or tablet screen will trick your brain into staying awake. On top of that, engaging activities like games, email and social media will keep your brain in “ON” mode when it should be “OFF”.

- Keep the bedroom well ventilated and preferably at a cool temperature. Oxygen and lower temperatures makes it easier to fall asleep.

- Limit your food intake late at night. Having a heavy meal just before going to bed will affect your sleep. Instead of relaxing your body will be busy processing the food.

Coping with business travel

If you are in the habit of travelling through time zones, you will have already experienced the disorientating effects of jet lag. This can be especially taxing when travelling for business, but there are a few simple tricks that can make the transition easier.

- Travel to arrive at the destination in the evening. Try to stay up until 10pm before going to sleep. This will ensure that you get started on the new time right away. If you arrive early, and have to take a nap, make sure it’s short; an hour or two at the most.

- Try to get outside into sunlight whenever you can. Natural daylight is a great way to get your body used to a new time zone. If you are travelling west, and wake up early in the morning, go for a walk or go to a café. Both the light exercise and the sunlight will help you adjust.

Glasscubes is user-friendly collaboration software for businesses. Connect everyone that you work with in an online workspace which improves the way you share files, manage projects and communicate with each other. For more information please contact us by calling +44 (0)20 3274 2310 or email us at enquiries@glasscubes.com.