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6 Habits Of Highly Successful People Before Bedtime

By Tony Robinson

Weve all heard the stories about the mega-successful who wake up early every day and conquer the world before
most people put the coffee on. But what about the other time of day that plays an equally important role? What are
successful people doing right before bed? Do you want to know the secret? They set themselves up to have an
even more productive day tomorrow.
Here are six bedtime habits of highly successful people.

1. Read for an hour

Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates is an avid reader. Each night before bed, he spends an hour reading a book,
ranging on topics from politics to current events.
Aside from the obvious benefits of gaining new knowledge, reading daily has also been shown to reduce stress
and improve memory. A 2009 study from the University of Essex revealed that reading for as little as six minutes a
day can reduce stress levels by up to 68%.
Another big benefit from cracking open a good book on a nightly basis is that it can improve the long term health
of your brain. Every time you read, its like a mental workout for your mind. This study performed in
Britain showed that people who stimulated their minds through activities like reading, reduced cognitive decline by
an average of 32% as they got older in age.

2. Unplug
After passing out from exhaustion and injuring her head to the tune of five stitches, Arianna Huffington has been
an evangelist for unplugging. Every night before bed, she puts her phone in another room so shes not distracted
by it before bed. And science proves that she might be onto something.
According to Dr Charles Czeisler, a professor of sleep medicine at Harvard University, the bright lights produced
by our cell phone screens disrupt our bodies natural sleep rhythm and actually trick our bodies into thinking its
daytime. Those bright lights send a message to our brains that prevents certain chemicals from being released,
causing us to have a much harder time going to sleep. So, if you want a good nights rest, stash your phone in
another room.

3. Take a walk
The busy CEO of Buffer likes to unwind with a brisk walk right before bed. He uses his walks to turn off his
thoughts about work, and slowly work his self into a state of tiredness.
For a busy person always on the go, Joels late night walk routine could be perfect way to unwind after a stressful
day. And aside from the obvious health benefits of daily walk, there a couple of surprising bonuses that come
along as well.
One study revealed that walking can increase creativity. When youre walking, your mind isnt working as
vigorously, which opens up the free flow of ideas. So if youve got a tough problem you havent been able to
solve, maybe a nice, night time stroll is all you need to find the perfect, creative solution.

4. Meditate
The media maven has long supported the idea of regular meditation. No doubt, Ms. Winfrey has a schedule that

keeps her mighty busy, and what better way to unwind at the end of a stressful day, than with a focused
meditation session.
Theres often times a stigma surrounding meditation, and there has always been a debate as to whether
mediation is actually helpful. But when a 2014 study took a look at over 19,000 cases involving mediation, the
results were clear. Meditation was found to help reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and pain. So regardless of
ones view of mediation, you cant argue with the results.

5. Get creative
In 2006, Vera Wang stated to Fortune that her nightly routine includes, a fair amount of designing at least
conceptually if not literally. Sometimes, the quiet of the night can be the perfect remedy for a creative block.
Whats even more surprising is that theres a study that actually shows night time can be the perfect time for
creativity, even if youre tired from a long day. A study from Albion College revealed that, tasks requiring creative
insight was consistently better during their nonoptimal times of day..
So if youre a morning person (raises hand), then your most creative ideas will come right before bed.
Researchers believe this is true because your mind is less restrained at night. Your ability to make logical
connections worsens, but it works in your favor because youre able to make connections you wouldnt have been
able to otherwise.

6. Plan the next day

The American Express CEO likes to manage his time, and he does so by ending his nights in a very simple way.
He plans out three things he wants to accomplish for the following day. That way, he can wake up in the morning,
and get to work on his most important tasks, right away.
This study from the early 90s supports Chenaults strange addiction with planning. Researchers followed a group
of students from their high school years, until four years later at the end of their college careers. The researchers
tested these students on their time management skills in high school, and when they caught up with those
students four years later, they made a shocking discovery.
The students with better time management skills, had higher college GPAs then their peers who had higher SAT
scores. Basically, time management played a bigger role in their academic success than actual scholastic
aptitude.
Featured photo credit: oninnovation via flickr.com

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