5 Ways to Wake Up Rested and Refreshed After Too Little Sleep
There are times when we all have to endure a night of little or no sleep and how disturbing this lack of sleep can be to our bodies. Our busy lifestyles are causing us all to go without the required hours of sleep on occasions. So what can we do about this growing problem?
How can you wake up feeling refreshed after going to bed too late the previous night?
If you're not getting enough sleep, it can be a combination of many things. Let’s look now at the reasons why and what you can do about looking refreshed after getting too little sleep.
1. Hitting the Snooze Button
In our busy world today too many of us rely every day on our alarms to wake us up and not to have the chance to wake up naturally. When the alarm abruptly wakes us up what is the first thing most of us do?
Hit the snooze button! The problem here is that by hitting the snooze button the extra ten minutes of sleep is actually counter-productive and will actually make you feel more tired than if you had got up ten minutes earlier.
Snoozing is actually counter-productive because it messes with your sleep cycle. If you usually get up at 7 am or 7.30 continue to get up at that time, that extra ten minutes don't help because just as you are falling asleep again, you are jolted awake by your alarm. As I said, it just messes with your sleep cycle and your body's daily routine.
Once you do open your eyes, do not lay there, you should get up straight away, laying there will just add to the feeling of being tired.
2. Open Your Curtains/Blinds
It is a well-known fact that light has an impact on our sleep and once you get out of bed opening your curtains or your blinds and exposing yourself to some sunlight will begin to stimulate your body and mind. This stimulation helps to give you a boost of energy, makes you become more alert and thus you will wake up much easier.
So every morning you should jump out of bed at the first call of your alarm, open your curtains or blinds and if necessary turn on some additional lights. These actions together tell your brain it’s time for you to get up and begin your day before you are able to register in your brain the feeling of tiredness.
3. Exercise
An excellent way to wake up feeling refreshed and rested is to do some exercise. Now you could do some sit-ups, press-ups or other similar exercises bit anything that gets you active in the morning is a good sign. You might like to take a brisk walk or run a few laps. All of these exercises are good for improving the circulation of your blood which then will improve how alert you are and make paying attention to whatever tasks you are doing so much easier.
Being active puts you in a better mood!
A few minutes of activity in the morning will add to your being awake and alertness level. This will make you feel better during the day. Your good mood also increases your chances of sleeping better at night. A simple routine of exercise can be the kick-start you need to a routine that results in you getting a good night of problem free sleep.
4. Taking Technology to Bed
In the age of technology that we all live in today, it is normal behavior to spend a large part of our daily lives in front of an electronic screen of some description or other. This could be your computer, smartphone or just your TV, the effects of being tuned into these devices is pretty much the same especially when it is close to sleep time.
After a long, sometimes hard day at work there is nothing better than to relax in your bed with your smartphone or laptop or even watching TV. These methods of relaxation are actually doing more harm than good to our sleep pattern. Each of these electronic items emits a blue light which affects your sleeping. The blue light affects your melatonin levels, a hormone that is naturally produced when the sun has set to induce sleep. Looking at these devices interrupts that pattern and instead of feeling relaxed and ready to sleep you remain alert. You should always switch off your TV manually before sleeping and not by the remote control device.
5. The Quality of Your Mattress
The fifth and perhaps the most crucial part of ensuring you sleep well and wake up refreshed is your mattress. How well or poorly you sleep can be determined by your mattress. There is always some part of your body that is compressed during sleep. If the mattress is too hard, it can cause discomfort by this compression, and you will feel uncomfortable and roll around in your sleep. If your mattress is too soft, you can also have problems by sinking too low into the mattress, and this could cause back shoulder or neck pain. You should take some time over choosing the correct mattress for you.
Just by changing your old mattress you could give yourself a much better night’s sleep that leaves you waking up and feeling refreshed every morning.
