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.
Is Your Room a Peaceful Environment?
A lot of people do not believe in Feng Shui, but even a nonbeliever can find some practical uses for the ancient art. Something as simple as being able to see the door, but not be in the path of it when it opens, can offer an individual a sense of security and contribute to a better nights sleep. A couple of quick and practical ideas from Feng Shui include reducing clutter, organizing bookshelves and having plenty of space around the bed are just a few ideas that will help. Pastel blue and green are usually favourites for people who want to create a relaxing colour scheme within their rooms and colour psychology has produced interesting results when it comes to bedroom colour schemes.
Focus on Something Positive When You Wake
Another practice that helps to kick-start any morning routine is that of thinking happy and/or peaceful thoughts when waking up. Stress and anxiety tend to appear worse in the morning for a lot of people and thinking positive thoughts can help to alleviate some of this negativity. The increase of cortisol production during the early morning provides a chemical reason for added anxiety in the morning. The practice of focusing on something happy or optimistic can also be achieved with exercises such as yoga and even incense or candles that can have a positive effect on one'smental outlook for the day. However you may choose to focus your mind in the morning, your senses become awakened if the thoughts are of a happier nature.
Adequate Hydration in the Morning
Going 7 to 8 hours, maybe longer, without drinking water will have the body needing hydration as soon as you wake up. Water helps humans feel more alert and to wake up quicker in the morning due to the fact Drinking a large glass of water directly after waking up has also been shown to increase metabolism by up to 24% in some studies, making this technique a must-do for those looking to lose weight. There is actually a host of health-related benefits to drinking a big glass of water every morning which include flushing out toxins, alleviating heartburn/indigestion, and preventing bladder infections, to name a few. This ritual is very deeply rooted within Japanese culture and the Japanese people generally outlive the Western world, on the whole, somewhat proving the effectiveness of this practice.
Morning Exercise
Exercises such as running and jogging will release endorphins into the bloodstream which can remedy stress, fatigue, or even pain in some cases. Not to mention that exercise will improve your metabolism and energy levels if completed once waking up. If you do not have time to join a gym or jog for half an hour a 15-minute brisk walk is enough to kick-start your metabolism and have the body and mind running properly for the rest of the day. Many people who exercise in the morning claim that they will remain focused and concentrated for the remainder of the day as well as becoming more alert. Working out in the morning will also develop a strong sense of self-discipline and consistency for an individual, as well as achieving various fitness goals along the way!