Doubling Your Time

A few years ago I heard someone say: “Every hour of sleep before midnight is worth two, and every hour of work before noon is worth two.”

That’s a pretty good principle in general. It would need to be nuanced, of course, when it comes to those who are naturally most productive late at night. But as a general statement, it points to the high productive value of making the most of the morning.

Although maybe you could have the best of both worlds. If you went to bed at 9 pm, you’d have six hours of sleep by midnight and could then get up, ready to attack the day…

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August 20, 2009 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 2 Comments 

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2 Responses to “Doubling Your Time”

  1. Gareth on August 20th, 2009 4:27 am

    When I was a student, I did just that.

    I started off going to bed at 1am and getting up around 8 and then working the usual 15 hour day (2 hours for swimming, eating and God). But, due to the amount of work, someone suggested that I go to bed and get earlier to maximise the morning. So, I started to turn in around 10pm and getting up at 2am ‘ready to attack the day’. In addition, I’d have a 5 minute (no more) around 4pm.

    Did it work? Yes – the earlier I went to bed, the earlier I got up, the more productive I was. I actually found that I was more productive, to the extent that daily I was taking a couple of hours less to do the usual amount of work.

    It was always amusing when my house mates would arrive home after being in a club/bar and I’d already done a few hours work!

  2. Matt Stephens on November 1st, 2009 8:27 pm

    I’m not following the math of sleeping from 9 pm to 12 midnight and getting 6 hours of sleep. Last I checked, 12 minus 9 equals 3…? I digress.

    Anyway, I think it depends on one’s body clock, which has been conditioned by sleep/wake patterns. I will confess, though, that getting 6 hours of sleep regularly (as a man in my upper 20s) leaves me more restful than 9. Interesting anecdote… I fell asleep for an hour or so a few evenings ago, tried to go to bed at midnight, but couldn’t sleep, and ended up staying up till 4 am, the day of my 7:20 am class. Those were 4 of the most productive hours I’ve had in weeks!

    I wish I knew the science to this.

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