I used to be a sleeper. Now I have a child, a stressful job, some aches and pains of age, wonky hormones and a shrinking bladder. I generally go to sleep but I just don’t stay asleep. A few times each week I am awake sometime between 1:00-4:00 am. After this became a consistent pattern I decided to stop fighting it and being angry or frustrated and use the time productively.

My top 5 uses of time in the middle of the night include:

Brain Dump – I have a paper and pen beside my bed (sometimes I use my phone). I write down everything that is on my mind. Sometimes it is a To Do list. Sometimes it is an idea how to tackle a task. Sometimes it is the questions I am looking to get answers for. Sometimes it is the worry list.

To Do List/Plans – I live by my To Do list. My lists come in many forms – scrap papers, email items, electronic tasks, and calendar items. The middle of the night is when I worry I have forgotten or will forget something. Once I have captured it I can relax and go back to sleep.

Meditate – You might challenge me that meditating is not a productive use of time but I beg to disagree. Research suggests that meditative practice has both personal and professional benefits including improving concentration, increasing acceptance and happiness, reducing stress and improving cardiovascular and immune health.

Stretching – I am not talking about a power yoga session at 2:36 a.m. I am talking about a focused, slow, purposeful stretch of every body part starting at your head and going to your toes as you lie in bed. These stretches are similar to a meditative practice with the addition of muscle engagement to help release tension and relax.

Learning – If my mind is particularly engaged I will take the opportunity in the quiet hours in the middle of the night to listen to a podcast about marketing ideas or to read a business-related book. As a new business owner, I find there are so many aspects of running a business that I need to expose myself too – marketing, communication, taxes, legal, finance and more. As a consultant for general operations and project management for a diverse array of small/medium sized business, I also need to be current on different industry trends and business needs.  Sometimes I find I have to revisit some of the topics I touch upon in the middle of the night but that usually at least some of it has stuck and I can deepen my understanding with another or more detailed pass at the material.

I always head to bed hoping for a restful and restorative night but when that doesn’t happen I gratefully accept the quiet hours as a gift. I know the next night will likely be more peaceful.