Experts say a perfect night sleep for adults is between 7-9 hours. But how often do we really get the full amount of sleep required? It’s no secret that when we’ve had a bad night sleep we tend to feel lethargic and struggle to pay attention. This is not ideal when we need to focus on the day ahead. So how can we perk up after a sleepless night?
Step away from the Snooze Button
Yes, that’s correct. When your alarm rings try and get up straight away. By snoozing your alarm you will mess about with your body’s sleeping pattern which will make getting up even harder. The worst thing to do is force yourself those magical 8 hours resulting in longer time spent in bed with little productive rest.
Exercise
As much as you don’t feel like any exercise in the morning it will make all the difference to spend 20 minutes walking or a light jog to boost your energy levels.
Drink Water
When you’re lacking energy you need to refuel your body. The best way to do this after you wake is to hydrate early and frequently.
Don’t overdo the Caffeine
When we lack energy we look for a quick fix to get us through the day, caffeine. Unfortunately this is not a replacement for the rest we have lost. Whilst coffee is the go to drink after a sleepless night its best not to overdo it as it can lead to headaches and nervousness.
Light it up
It is always beneficial to be exposed to sunlight for 30 minutes a day. Sunlight energises you and improves your serotonin levels automatically boosting your mood. If possible spent a little time outside, even if cloudy, it is brighter outside than in a well-lit office.
Breathing
If at some point during the day you begin to dip try some yoga breathing techniques to stimulate your energy levels. Bellows breath, a yogic breathing technique, is an easy trick to try. Inhale and exhale through your nose rapidly with short in and out breaths of equal time. Use your stomach to push the breath out and limit your rounds to 15 seconds to begin with and increase by 5 seconds to a maximum of one minute.
Eat well
When we lack energy we tend to turn to comfort food. This continues the cycle by providing no energy boosting nutrition. Try and plan a healthy lunch during the day fuel of iron rich foods such as kale, spinach, nuts and seeds.
Finish and Rest
Unfortunately, we can never replace the sleep we have lost. Only try and get our bodies back into a good sleep routine. If your sleepless nights continue it may be worth finding the source of the restlessness and seeing what you can do to improve your sleep.