We all know that it’s important to strive for 7-10 hours of sleep every night. But what if you are getting this many hours and you still wake up feeling tired, groggy, and sore? What if the hours you are getting aren’t doing the job. How disappointing is that? You are diligent about getting to bed early enough to log 8 hours and it’s not paying off as health professionals say it should.
If this sounds familiar, listen up!
These tips are helpful for anyone to achieve more restorative and restful sleep, but especially for those struggling to get out of bed in the morning after a solid 8 hours. We don’t need any zombies walking around before Halloween.
Earlier Bedtime.
I know that during the season most of you probably abide by this one all the time. However if you fall off the wagon in the off-season, it might be time to rethink your schedule. Getting to bed before 11:00 PM can help you have a deeper and sounder night’s sleep, not to mention help you fall asleep faster. During the hours of 11 PM and 1 AM, your liver is at it’s peak functioning for filtering your blood and removes toxins, if you are still awake when your body starts this process, it may be more difficult for you to fall into a restful sleep.
No eating in bed!
Leave more time between dinner and bedtime. I know this can be a difficult task, but again, you don’t want your body to be focused on another process when it’s time for bed. Digesting a meal, especially a large one, can be disruptive to letting the body know that it’s time to wind down for the night.
What’s for dinner?
Check the macronutrient composition of your dinner. A carbohydrate rich meal close to bed-time will inhibit the release of growth hormone during sleep. This greatly reduces your body’s ability to repair and rebuild the damage from your daily activities and environmental stressors.
Give it a try and let me know what you discover. Hopefully, you’ll be feeling rested and energetic with less wrinkles! Share your experience below.