We’ve all been there: After a night of tossing and turning, you wake up only to feel like you haven’t slept at all. You’re then left fighting the urge to go back to bed because you have to get the kids ready for school or attend an early work meeting. Many people suffer from morning grogginess, which can leave them feeling fatigued throughout the day. And while sometimes it lasts the first initial moments you wake up, morning grogginess can last longer. If you find that you’re tired for a prolonged period of time throughout the day, this may be due to poor sleep the night before says Dr. Meredith Broderick of the Sound Sleep Guru. “People can wake up tired for numerous possibilities,” Dr. Broderick tells SheKnows. “With one reason being, they may not be getting enough sleep.”
This could be due to stress, jet lag or poor sleep habits in general, but no matter the reason, it can impact your daily life, according to numerous clinical studies. To prevent this, Dr. Broderick suggests leading a healthy lifestyle. “Exercising, eating healthy, maintaining an ideal body weight, and having a consistent sleep schedule can help fight against waking up tired,” says Dr. Broderick. Read below for more tips on how to get a good night’s sleep so you can wake up refreshed and be ready to take on the day.
Prepare the body for sleep
“Before bed, it’s important to engage in activities that are going to help with rest and relaxation and preparing the body for sleep,” says Dr. Kogan. These activities can include preparing for the next day i.e. laying out clothes, dimming the lights and shutting down electronics.
Avoid overstimulating activities
Part of physically preparing the body for bed means avoiding heart-racing activities such as exercise, watching violent/scary movies, preparing for work or meetings. You don’t want to stimulate the mind before bed so it’s best not to work on the computer or try and solve stressful problems. “We also want to avoid blue light devices such as TV, phones and tablets 30 to 60 minutes before bed so the brain is not getting conflicting messages to be alert and awake when it is time to sleep,” says Dr. Kogan.
Use a supplement
For people who suffer from occasional sleeplessness, an over-the-counter supplement such as Sleep & Shine’s Sleep Soundly Ashwagandha with Melatonin Capsules may help. “Sleep varies by person, but most people need 7 to 8 hours,” Dr. Julia Kogan tells SheKnows. “However, sleep quality is more important than sleep quantity.” And Sleep & Shine’s capsules may help you achieve that. Because they are made with Shoden® Ashwagandha, a clinically tested form of Ashwagandha which has been shown to support restorative sleep, the capsules can help improve sleep quality and help you wake up feeling more energized as a result*.
The benefits don’t end there. Sleep & Shine’s capsules are also made with a smaller amount of melatonin than what is commonly found in other supplements. Melatonin helps people fall asleep faster but it will not improve sleep quality and it can also leave users feeling groggy the next day. So, because Sleep & Shine only has one milligram of melatonin, you don’t have to worry about a melatonin hangover ruining your day. This carefully crafted combination of melatonin and clinically tested Shoden(R) Ashwagandha will help you fall asleep faster, get better quality sleep, and as a result help you start the day feeling refreshed and more restored*.
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Don’t consume caffeine or alcohol
While you might be tempted to have a glass of wine or other alcoholic beverage to help you fall asleep, researchers strongly recommend against this because it causes arousals and awakenings, according to numerous clinical studies. As a result, you may not feel refreshed when you wake up. The same goes for caffeine. While it can be good during the day to help you stay awake and alert, you want the opposite effect before bed, so if possible, stay away from coffee, energy drinks and other caffeine-heavy beverages.
Practice calming activities
Research shows that meditation is an effective tool for people who struggle to fall asleep at night. By meditating, you can help reduce cortisol, which is the hormone associated with stress. It also increases the natural melatonin levels to help with more restful sleep. There are many more calming activities you can take part in as well. “I recommend deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and other deep relaxation exercises that calm the body and the mind,” says Dr. Kogan. “Listening to music and reading print books are also other calming activities that you can do before bed.”
This article was created by SheKnows for Sleep & Shine.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
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