Are you trying to figure out the cause of your morning fatigue? Most of us can relate to issue of feeling weak and tired even after hitting the sack early and sleeping for up to 8 hours.
Sometimes we blame it on the stress and even see it as an inevitable part of life. Well, the causes of morning fatigue go way beyond stress and the like — there are few other factors you need to know about.
In fact, there are some mistakes you need to avoid altogether if you’re looking to sleep well at night and feel great in the morning.
From this point, we’re going to explore a few mistakes that prevent you from getting your beauty sleep. Sounds good? Let’s check them out!
1. Eating Sweet and Starchy Foods before Bed
Do have the habit of eating before hitting the sheets? If yes, you should put an end to it — it’s very harmful to your sleep. It’s even worse when you eat foods with high glycemic index — such foods increase the level of cortisol in your body. It’s important to note that this effect lasts for five hours, so it’s in your best interest to quit eating the sweet stuff 5 hours before bed.
2. Skipping Breakfast
Do you know that breakfast is essential for a good night rest? Breakfast kick-starts the biological clock that counts down the time until when we need to hit the sack again. Failure to eat breakfast when you wake up in the morning will trigger the body to increase the level of stress hormone cortisol, and that’s pretty bad for your sleep.
3. Breaking the Sleep Cycle
Do you go to bed at different times every night? If yes, you need to make a change and stick to the cycle. For the most part, our lives go in line with the circadian rhythm or biological clock — it’s a standard cycle of alternating sleepiness and alertness. The thing is, you break this cycle when you go to bed at different times every night, and this can lead to drowsiness and fatigue. The bottom line; try to go to bed at the same time every night — your body will thank you!
4. Getting More Sleep on Weekends
Most of us are guilty of this habit. If you find that you sleep for 5 to 6 hours on weekdays, but spend longer hours in bed on weekends, just know that you’re breaking your body’s biological rhythm. Besides sleeping disorders, this habit may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases. So try to stick to the set wake-up time!
5. Taking a Hot Shower Right before Hitting the Hay
There’s no doubt that a warm shower or bath relaxes your nerves and helps you fall deep asleep at night, but doing it immediately before heading off to bed won’t do you any good. Why? Well, it’s only because a drop in body temperature is one of the signals your body sends when it’s time to retire to bed, and that hot shower interrupts this signal. Want to prevent this from happening? Just enjoy your warm soak at least 1.5 or 2 hours before hitting the sack!
6. Hitting the Snooze Button
Do you know that hitting the snooze button can ruin your entire day? Tacking on an extra 10 to 15 minutes won’t do you any good — it can even make you feel extremely tired upon awakening. It’s way better to set your alarm for the time when you need to wake up and stick with it.