It’s 11 a.m. and you’re yawning. Or it’s 6:30 p.m. and you’re considering a post-work nap before dinner. Why are you seemingly always so tired, despite getting eight hours of rack time a night?
There are some daunting reasons ““ unexplained feelings of exhaustion can be a sign of heart disease, stress and, of course, depression ““ but not all the reasons are quite so dire. Some are simple enough for a quick fix and finding your energy reserves:
Electronics are your bedtime ritual
Going to sleep to the television or doing one last check of the Internet on your iPhone can interrupt your production of melotonin, the hormone chiefly responsible for making you feel sleepy.
- The culprit: The light emitted from electronics
- The solution: Turn off the TV after the news to settle in for your night’s slumber. Turn off your mobile phone. Not on silent”off. If you must leave it on, there are apps to keep the screen darker during sleep hours.
Sleeping in on weekends
The snooze button, even on weekends, is a detriment to your sleep cycle throughout the week.
- The culprit: Sleeping in on the weekends interrupts your body’s ability to learn when it’s time to wake up.
- The solution: Wake up at your normal weekday time to keep your Circadian rhythm level. Make breakfast. Read the paper. Take a morning walk. You can always nap later.
Pets are common bedtime pals
Spot and Fluffy are cute, but they’re also restless bedmates.
- The culprit: According to a study from the Mayo Clinic, a significant number of participants report being woken up in the middle of the night by their pets.
- The solution: The best idea is to keep them out of the bedroom at night and suffer their wounded, accusing stares when you shut the door on them.
You missed your workout
Like sleep cycles, our bodies get used to their regular workout routines.
- The culprit: Miss a workout, and you could have energy to burn which results in watching the late, late movie oldie at 3 a.m.
- The solution: Again ““ turn off the TV! Try to settle your mind with a good book. Old standbys like a cup of tea or warm milk will also help.
With these quick fixes in mind, you can sleep better and wake up more energized.
