Disruptions to our normal schedules and various related stressors are causing many people to struggle with sleeplessness. Skynamo can help to reverse the profound effect this has on sales productivity.
Improving sales productivity is a central theme in all our conversations at Skynamo. Our product and development teams are constantly improving our all-in-one sales platform with outside sales team productivity in mind. We’ve created a tool that reduces sales admin and frees salespeople up to spend more time selling and yet, external lifestyle factors affect productivity in ways we cannot always account for.
Scientific findings and Google search data suggest that insomnia, broken sleep and weird dreams have all surged over recent months since the pandemic broke out.
We’ve previously listed sleep as one of the 7 ways to improve productivity by practising ‘active rest’, highlighting its positive impact on productivity. Importantly, we suggested that sleep must indeed be treated as an ‘activity’.
We don’t simply fall asleep. It is especially true in stressful times that quality sleep requires planning and intentionality, just like any other activity you work into your daily schedule. “Picking up the kids at 3 o’clock” means every other meeting or errand needs to be arranged accordingly. The same is true for sleep.
Many people find routines to be helpful in winding them down towards sleep. The result is that when they finally do switch off the lights, they’ve already begun the process of falling asleep.
What does preparing for bedtime look like?
There is no exact process of falling asleep but here are some steps to consider based on what others find works for them:
1. Strategic sleeping or napping
Before considering night-time routines, see if strategic daytime naps could possibly help you remain fresh and focussed, and less stressed and worn-out come the evening. For some, this has become more of a possibility since they spend more time working from home and perhaps along more flexible hours. Srini Pillay, founder and CEO of the Neurobusiness Group cites research that suggests that well-timed and well-planned naps (5-20 minutes) “help the brain think more clearly and react more quickly for up to three hours.”
2. Settle down at a fixed time
Set a time by which you begin engaging in relaxing activities. This means you stop engaging in activities that prevent you from relaxing. People usually opt for reading, listening to calming music, engaging in prayer or meditation, or taking a bath or shower. It’s wise to avoid screens from at least an hour before you switch off your bedroom light. Some people begin their wind-down in front of the television and it certainly helps, but it’s best to stop using screens early in the evening. If you follow a pattern, especially n week nights, it will go a long way to train your body into the habit of moving towards sleep.
A simple pre-sleep routine can look like this.
3. Create a serene sanctuary
It’s no use being diligent in preparing for bed if your bedroom itself is the problem. If you consider that roughly one third of your day is spent sleeping, and the quality of that sleep shapes your performance and productivity during the other two thirds, your bedroom is a space worth investing in.
Again, some features will come down to individual preference and what works best to calm you down. How does your room make you feel? Take everything into account here: the color of your walls, how much light your curtains keep out or let in, the general tidiness of your room and whether open cupboards are distracting you. Begin by asking these questions:
- What type of mattress or pillow is best for my posture?
- Is it better for my windows to be open or closed?
- Can I change my room’s temperature to make me more comfortable?
- Are there scents that help me feel relaxed (think candles and aromatherapy)?
- Should I remove my TV or other electronic devices with screens from my bedroom?
Read more: 12 ways to make your bedroom more sleep friendly and 9 tips for maximizing your sleep environment.
Skynamo reduces unnecessary screen time at night
We mentioned we cannot always account for lifestyle factors that affect productivity, but Skynamo’s sales platform does reduce unnecessary screen time at night.
Our platform digitalizes the sales admin process, which means there is no more paperwork involved in field sales order taking and reporting. This results in:
- outside salespeople spending less time on daily admin (typically two to three hours less),
- automated sales reports that update in real-time and are signed off the moment sales reps clock out each day,
- no need for sales managers or their teams to spend time in front of their screens to compile reports every evening.
“With Skynamo, our sales reps can now see their accounts in real-time, so admin efforts are spent where they count. At least 3-4 hours that used to be spent on admin can now be applied elsewhere.” – Kerry Yates, Permoseal sales manager
“There’s so much less pressure and stress, which increases our efficiency. Honestly, it feels like we have no admin at all!” – Permoseal sales rep
Less paperwork and more helpful screen time during the day means less screen time and better sleep at night.
