Right now, we’re living in the Philippines while working our remote jobs, and I think I finally figured out the secret sauce to getting real rest. I used to fall asleep around 6 AM, then wake up at 10 or 12 thinking that was enough. Spoiler: it wasn’t. I’d feel drained all day, no matter how much coffee I had. But once we committed to sleeping from 7 AM to 2 PM, everything changed.
With school starting again for our kid, we had to adjust our routine anyway. This new sleep schedule gives us a solid seven hours, and honestly, it feels amazing. That small shift gave us more structure, better moods, and the energy to be more present for both work and family.
Seven hours of sleep might not sound like a lot, but it’s made a huge difference. I remember doing night shift nursing and telling myself I’d never go back to that kind of schedule again. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, physically and emotionally exhausting.
But here’s the thing. Remote work is different. It’s not physically demanding like bedside care. Most of what we do now is mental, we’re in meetings, writing, brainstorming, and managing things online. It’s a whole new world, and it comes with the flexibility to find what actually works for your body.
If you’re working remotely from abroad and can’t seem to find your rhythm, play around with your sleep schedule. You don’t have to follow the traditional night-and-day routine if your work doesn’t require it. Find what gives you energy, mental clarity, and peace of mind. For us, 7 AM to 2 PM is the magic window.