Get more sleep

Since I moved to Spain I am finding particularly difficult being in bed by 22:30. Everything here is made in such a way that no one seems to be sleeping before midnight.

Nothing wrong about that, but I still want to go to bed early and wake up early. Provisionally I will try to make this goal easier by setting my bedtime at 23:30. After achieving this, I will go back to my original goal, which is being in bed by 22:30.

Last night was the fourth night in a row I was in bed by 22:30, which means I got to level 1, according to my level plan. Sleeping well is so good!

After I moved to Madrid last month, I messed up each and every one of my good habits, mainly this one. But getting more sleep is a fundamental goal to reach my other goals: I need to get more sleep to be more efficient at work, to be less tired to run, etc.

The good news is that now I have more or less settled down, and things are now easier to start creating again those habits.

I am at level 4, but it’s getting complicated. Last night I had to use my last exception available to see a friend, so the situation is a bit tight at the moment: 29 nights in a row. I should reach the 5th level on Friday, 28th November… But on 26th November I’m moving to Madrid! Hm…

If everything is OK, I should reach level 3 (14 nights) by Thursday!

I have been writing several entries about my own levels to make easier to get into this good habit, just making this goal a bit more interesting for my self-competitive character. This is the summary:

“Be in bed with the lights off by 22:30 for X days in a row (excluding Saturday), and succeed by [date here].

N exceptions (other than Saturday) are allowed, but if all of them are needed, at least M have to be for justifiable reasons.”

...where X, N and M mean:
Level 1: X = 4, N = M = 0 (first achieved on 6th June)
Level 2: X = 7, N = M = 0 (first achieved on 18th June)
Level 3: X = 14, N = M = 1 (first achieved on 12th August)
Level 4: X = 24, N = 2, M = 1 (first achieved on 27th August)
Level 5: X = 36, N = 3, M = 1
Level 6: X = 48, N = 4, M = 2
Level 7: X = 64, N = 4, M = 2

If I ever achieve Level 7, I will mark this goal as done (64 nights is enough to prove I got used to it, isn’t it?).

As expected, travelling to Spain and Italy has completely disrupted my habits, not just my sleep. However, it has been an AMAZING week: I got my degree, I went to the beach, I went to a friend’s wedding, I visited my aunt… and more things, all in eight days! Now it is time to restart working my daily habits to be the person I want to be.

Good! I did it. I am happy, but above all… I am not tired! I needed one of the two exception days, as electricity was not working at home, and that disrupted a bit my plans.

I think I will consider this goal as done if I reach the seventh level (60 days in a row?). For the moment, I will think only about the next one, the fifth level:

“Be in bed with the lights off by 22:30 for 36 days in a row (excluding Saturday), and succeed by the 1st of September.

Three exceptions (other than Saturday) are allowed, but if all of them are needed, at least one has to be for justifiable reasons.”

Thirty six days is a lot, and probably I will have to start again after my trip to Spain (nobody goes early to bed in Spain!), but let’s see if I can reach it by the end of November…

Last night was the fourteenth night in a row (excluding Saturdays) I went to bed by 22:30! I’m sleeping much better as I get used to this good habit. I feel it especially every morning! Here are my own rules for the fourth level:

“Be in bed with the lights off by 22:30 for 24 days in a row (excluding Saturday), and succeed by the 1st of September.

Two exceptions (other than Saturday) are allowed, but if both are needed, at least one has to be for justifiable reasons.”

As usual, here “justifiable reasons” means anything that does not depend on me, or on my way to organize events.

Deadline: 31st of October.

The 13th night, just the night before reaching my “level 3”, I failed to go to bed before 22:30. I knew it was going to be difficult to do all my duties and then go to Michela’s leaving party… anyway it is good that such days seem to be the exception now. Before I had this goal, sleeping well was something rather strange. And I enjoyed being with my colleagues!