Do you find yourself dozing off at your desk or struggling through another long meeting? Are you just plain tired? Our lives have become so fast-paced and require so much attention and concentration that feeling alert is more important than ever. Here are some simple tips to fight fatigue and help you to feel refreshed and energized!
First, you want to drink plenty of water as dehydration has been shown to decrease energy, concentration, and alertness. Next, eat small, frequent meals as this may help to steady your blood sugar levels. Then, increase your physical activity even when it’s the last thing you want to do because exercise has been shown to boost energy levels. Finally, dropping those extra pounds and getting to a healthy weight also improves energy levels.
Hmmm… Drink water. Eat small, frequent meals. Exercise. Lose weight. This is sounding remarkably like a Medifast Program!
However, there is one last piece to this puzzle and it is definitely the most important: Get quality sleep. Notice I didn’t say “get more sleep.” We’ve all heard the advice to get 8 hours of sleep per night, but that is just a general recommendation as some people require more than 8 hours and others require less; when it comes to sleep, quality trumps quantity.
So, how can you get a good night’s sleep? By focusing on your Sleep Hygiene.
Just like you have a hygiene routine to keep your body clean, you can do the same for your sleep! Here are the basics of sleep hygiene that will help you to improve the quality of your sleep:
- Have a strict bed time and wake up routine. Go to the sleep at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every day (yep, even on the weekends).
- Write out your problems in a diary. Many people struggle with quieting their minds as they worry about anything and everything while lying in bed. Write out those worries in a journal to set those thoughts aside for the night.
- Workout, but be sure to do it at least 2 hours before bedtime.
- Take a short nap during the day, no more than 20 minutes. As little as 10 minutes has been shown to improve fatigue, but more than 30 is only going to make you more tired.
- Only do bedroom things in your bed. Just sleep and sex.
- Keep your bedroom slightly cool. If your bedroom is too hot it will disrupt your sleep.
- Avoid caffeine late afternoon to early evening. A good rule of thumb is no caffeine after lunch.
- Don’t leave clocks visible. Constantly checking the clock and then thinking “If I fall asleep right now that means I’ll still get 4 hours of sleep” isn’t helpful!
- Avoid screens (TV, phones, etc.) before bed. So much of our lives are now connected to our phones and laptops, but the glow from those screens disrupts melatonin, a hormone that tells your body that its night, and helps make you sleepy.
If you can focus on your sleep hygiene to improve the quality of your sleep, then you might just wake up feeling more energized and ready to take on the day!
