5 Tricks to Waking Up Feeling Refreshed

Last night, and every night for the past week or so, I had such a restless sleep leaving me feeling sleepy and sluggish the next morning.  It’s very difficult to feel that way, especially when I’m working (you have to be alert and ready to work when you’re a waitress).  Being the usually energetic person, it’s really taken a toll on what I want to do with my time on a day to day basis.  So, I was inspired to read up on ways to help feel refreshed in the morning.

For anyone feeling the same way I am, I hope this will help!
-Marie

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Feeling sluggish in the morning?  Can’t sleep at night? Or are you sleeping the “recommended 8 hours” and still feeling like you only 3 hours of sleep?  Maybe it’s time to try some ways to waking up feeling refreshed in the morning!

Take a look at   5 Tricks to Waking up Feeling Refreshed

Trick #1 : Drink a glass of water

A post about 17 Ways to Wake Up Feeling Fresh in the Morning at thedailymind.com suggests drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning.

“A cool glass of water on an empty stomach actually has a lot of health benefits as well as serving to wake you up. The water will kick start your metabolism and as such you will wake up faster and feel more alert.”

Trick #2: Revamp your nightly routine

Fitsugar.com makes a good point of fine-tuning your bedtime routine.  A lot of us work all day, sometimes getting home late, and find ourselves having a glass (or two) or wine or a nice cold beer before heading to bed and starting our day all over again.  Time to rethink our bad habits and replace them with something that won’t disrupt our sleep.

“The first key to feeling refreshed in the morning is to fix your bedtime routine in the night. Many things can effect the quality of your sleep, like that glass of wine before bed or that TV show you got sucked into before falling asleep. Make your prebedtime routine relaxing by shutting down electronics at least 20 minutes before you’d like to go to sleep and having one of these drinks to help you wind down.”

Instead of having a glass of wine, try a glass of warm milk or herbal tea.

Trick #3: Stretch!

Stretching seems to be a key ingredient to getting a good night’s sleep and to feeling refreshed in the morning. Wikihow.com explains:

“Stretching in the morning or before you go to bed helps you to loosen up tightened muscles and feel more comfortable throughout the day. Don’t exercise before bed though. This could cause you to stay up longer due to increased blood flow and a rise in heart beat.”

Trick #4: Set a Regular Bedtime

With everything that goes on in life from work to school, problems to worries, it’s difficult to find a sleep schedule that works for your type of lifestyle.  It’s a fact: life gets in the way.  We lie in bed worrying about what needs to be done the next day or what we could have done differently through out the day.  Try to leave your worries behind and set a regular bedtime.  Tell yourself that “after 10:00 pm” is your time off from the worries of life and time for sleep.

Bettersleepbetterlife.com  says that

To get a good night sleep, your body needs the foundation of a regular bedtime. Your individual sleep requirements will then establish your natural wake-up time.

Getting your internal body clock in step with your sleep schedule will have a big impact on the quality of your sleep. Click here to read more about establishing a sleep schedule.

Trick #5: Don’t eat anything heavy.

Dormia Matress at WordPress writes:

The last meal of your night should be at dinnertime, and it is suggested not to eat dinner past 7:00 PM because your body’s metabolism begins to slow down as it prepares for sleep. Many times people will have a craving for a snack pre-bedtime because they are still hungry after dinner.

If this is the case, do not dive into the fridge to eat leftovers or into the cupboard for a quick and fatty snack. When faced with the urge to snack, choose foods high in melatonin or tryptophan, ingredients that will help promote sleep. A bowl of healthy cereal or a banana are both good for you, and contain a source of melatonin to help promote sleep. Other snacks, like walnuts, yogurt or hummus are also great for a pre-bedtime snack. You do not want to fill yourself up before bedtime, only subdue the hunger until morning.

Have a good night’s sleep!

Hopefully these tricks will help when you find yourself wanted to wake up feeling refreshed.  Don’t forget to really look into your habit before bed and upon awakening.  You never know when something you might be doing (or not doing) is seriously affecting your sleeping pattern.  Not sure about these tricks?  Sleep on it!

See you tomorrow morning,
–Good Morning, Joe

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