And do graphic designers dream of pixels and paper and pens when they finally hit the sheets?
If you answered yes (I did,) it might be time to back away from the unblinking electronic eye and pay a little bit of attention to your sleep.
Sleep is important – and we all know that, but the quality of that sleep is important, too. If you’re tossing and turning, waking up repeatedly or waking up tired, there’s a good chance that healthy sleep is eluding you. Lots of stuff can do that – caffeine, too much work, stress, the inability to wind down, kids, etc.
One of the things I’ve found for myself is that I have a tendency to hit the sack too soon after turning the Mac off. The kids are in bed, the wife has turned in, and I decide to get a little bit of work done. I hit shut down and immediately crawl in bed, close my eyes and drift off…
Studies show that doing that is really a bad idea. You need to give yourself AT LEAST 30 minutes of non-pixel, non-electronic time before you go to bed. Read a book, doodle in a sketchbook, take a shower, meditate, pray – whatever you can do to get unplugged.
Another one (and this is rough for a total caffeine fiend like me) is to not have caffeinated beverages at least 4 hours before bedtime. It makes you jittery, disrupts your sleep patterns and results in the need for even more caffeine in the morning.
Better sleep will make you more productive, more creative and possibly even a little less crabby. Sleep well, live well, work well…
*All About Freelance is in no way related to Ridley Scott or Bladerunner – although it is a killer movie.
