There’s a lot of reasons for being tired, but the primary on is lack of sleep. It’s easy to solve if you’re on the go and simply skimping on sleep. Just go to bed and set up a regular sleep schedule. However, it’s not quite that easy if the problem comes from the fact that you can’t sleep. Getting good sleep is more than just laying in bed for eight hours with your eyes closed. It’s going through all the stages of sleep. Each stage plays a role in a healthy sleep pattern. However, if you haven’t even made it to the first stage, where you close your eyes and sink into the delightful darkness of elusive sleep, it can be quite disturbing.
Could it be that you’re hungry?
Man has a natural reaction to insufficient calories. It’s to stay awake and hunt for food. It was a survival instinct for early caveman. Try having a small snack at bedtime that contains protein or tryptophan, which is an amino acid, a protein building block. Poultry, beef, pork and seafood contain protein and tryptophan. Munching on almonds can also help, since they contain magnesium. Eating a handful before bedtime can be beneficial.
Start a program of regular exercise.
Whether you do calisthenics, run, walk or just dance your way to fitness, it all counts. Getting at least 30 minutes of exercise daily can improve your sleep at night. Be careful not to overdo it if you’re just starting a program or workout too hard, aching muscles can also keep you awake. Not only will you be able to fall asleep easier, since exercise helps reset the brain’s processing that encourages sleeping, you’ll get a better quality of sleep.
Avoid stimulants like caffeine or nicotine and include food high in omega-3 and vitamin D.
If coffee makes you wired and you have a couple of cups late in the day, it may be causing your insomnia. If you aren’t eating chocolate, drinking coffee or other caffeine containing items, maybe it’s what you’re lacking that makes a difference. Have some tuna, which is a fatty fish that contains both omega 3 and vitamin D. They’re used to produce serotonin, which plays a big role in how quickly you fall asleep and the body’s sleep cycle.
- Get out in the sun. Talk a walk. You’ll get exercise, exposure to natural light that regulates your internal clock and vitamin D to produce serotonin.
- Turn off all lights, electrical appliances that emit a blue light and sleep in a cooler room. You might think you need to have the TV on to fall asleep, but you won’t get the quality of sleep you deserve and wake up tired.
- Create a sleep schedule. Set a bed time and a time to arise and follow through with it daily until it becomes habit, even if you don’t fall asleep right away, eventually you will. Always arise at the same time, even on weekends.
- If you have problems sleeping, learn deep breathing relaxation techniques and practice them either right before you go to bed or in bed. They can help divert your brain away from the activities of the day, if racing thoughts are the problem.
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