Feeling refreshed, energised and ready to tackle the day ahead? Or any you still tired, yawning into your very strong cup of coffee and already wishing it was bedtime?
There’s nothing worse than waking up more tired than when you went to bed – thanks tossing and turning, ama right?!
But, the good news is you CAN recover from a bad night’s sleep in no time at all so you don’t feel like a zombie walking through treacle.
From avoiding caffeine (eek, what?!) to getting through your to do list, here are the best ways to win the battle against insomnia fog…
1. Skip the Snooze
Don’t. Hit. That. Button! Getting up as soon as your alarm goes off is the key to making it through the day with as much energy as possible.
This is because the body has naturally been preparing to wake up the entire hour before you eventually do. Your sleep gets lighter during this time making it easier for you to wake.
By forcing it back to sleep you may slip back into deep sleep and you’re not meant to wake from that. If and when you do, it creates a huge shock to your system, making you feel worse in the long run and sapping your energy.
2. Get Through the To Do’s
Most people are most productive in the morning so get through your to do list early to maximise on this productivity.
Start with the hardest tasks and keep the easiest tasks for later on when your energy levels naturally begin to wane.
3. Get Your Heart Going
We all know exercise is great for helping you feel great and confident, but it’s also a wonder cure for tiredness as it releases endorphins and perks you up.
If you’ve had a really bad sleep, it’s recommended you do 20 minutes gentle exercise like walking, yoga or Pilates when you wake to get that natural exercise boost.
4. Get Outside
Nothing wakes you up more than the cool slap in the face of the morning air. So open those windows and suck in lung-fulls of fresh air first thing.
It’ll make you feel alive and blows the cobwebs to kingdom come.
5. Ditch the Caffeine
AGHHHH – NOOOO, NOT CAFFEINE! Hands up if you’re basically a walking coffee pot until 5pm?
The thing is all that coffee and caffeine actually makes you MORE tired – seriously.
There’s nothing wrong with a quick pick-me-up, but too much can actually become a sedative.
This is because it essentially gives you a high but as with all highs, there is a come down and often you end up lower than when you started.
Furthermore, too much caffeine in your system (even though you feel as though you’re on a major low and need more) can stop you from sleeping all together.
It’s a vicious cycle – caffeine high, caffeine low, caffeine still in system, no sleep, caffeine high, caffeine low…
