6 Ways To Wake Up Early And Feel Great

Most people believe that 6 to 8 hours of sleep per night is a good rule to live by. Not only is this a general assertion with little to no data to back it up, many sleep doctors now focus on the quality of sleep, rather than the quantity. Focusing on the quality of sleep and taking one or more of these steps outlined below is one way to become an early riser without feeling overly tired. Here are 6 very practical ways to ensure a decent nights sleep and have you feeling rested and ready to go when you wake up every morning.

Go to the Bathroom Just Before Sleeping

Many people will experience a disruption in sleep due to needing a bathroom stop during the night. This disruption will actually impact the quality of your sleep while your bladder fills up before you are rudely awoken. Deep sleep is very beneficial to humans, and a full bladder interrupts this process because the body is still working. Make an effort to make this a nightly routine and watch the quality of your sleep increase because of less interruption. Michael Gradner, Ph.D., and a member of the Behavioural Sleep Medicine Program at the University of Pennsylvania recommends drinking more water throughout the day as well as using the bathroom prior to sleeping every night. Another helpful hint to aid this routine is to avoid diuretics such as alcohol and coffee for around 4 hours before sleeping.

Avoiding Certain Food Before Bedtime

Coffee, red wine, and chocolate are all considered to be a source of stimulant and are also very disruptive to sleep. These foods are well known to disturb the digestive system should be avoided up to 4 hours before sleeping to ensure a quality nights rest. Energy drinks, ice cream, and even hot chocolate are other foods that should not be consumed close to bedtime and some can even have an individual feeling sluggish in the morning. Surprisingly some protein bars also contain caffeine, and labels should be checked if you tend to consume them at night. Seaweed snacks, plain yogurt, or plain popcorn make for excellent late night treats. Many people have also taken to eating breakfast-type food during the evening such as bananas, honey, oats, or even dry cereal in in order to give their brains as well as theirdigestive system a rest while asleep.