Sleep-Deprived Until The Morning Sunrise: 10 Tips For Feeling Refreshed

---

Insomnia was in the lead by a long shot last night. #TeamNoSleep strikes again! It is currently a little after 8 o’clock in the morning on Saturday, November 9th, 2019. And no matter how alone I may have felt last night, I know that about 40 million other Americans suffer from chronic insomnia as well and probably weren’t getting much sleep either. And since I am a woman, I am actually twice as likely to have developed insomnia in the first place. I even wrote a poem about my insomnia titled: When Insomnia Says Hi! (Feel free to check it out by clicking on the Poem title!)

Amazingly, about 1 in 4 Americans develop insomnia each and every single year. This means that if you work on a team of about 20 people, 5 of them will most likely suffer from insomnia.

The “We Already Know This Crap” Sleep Hygiene Rundown

Most insomniacs have already gotten a good sleep hygiene rundown from their family doctor, their sleep doctor, their mental health care team, and anyone else who tote’s around a fancy degree and probably earn more per hour than you do in a day. Most of us already know the basics by now.

• Minimize (or even fully cut out) your caffeine intake during the day and absolutely no coffee or caffeine before bedtime.
• Minimize blue lights before bedtime. (No smartphones, TVs, computers, etc…)
• Get plenty of exercises, just not within a few hours prior to going to bed for the night.
• Set up a sleep schedule and actually utilize it. (This means go to bed around the same time every day and get up at the same time every day — even on weekends or whatever days off you may have!)
• Do not drink alcohol at night.
• Do not smoke or use nicotine-containing products before bedtime.
• Invest in a decent pair of blackout curtains.
• Avoid any stimulating activities or substances before bedtime.

The list could go on, and on regarding the things that we are not supposed to do or try before we plan on going to sleep at night. This information can be found everywhere, and if you have already been labeled an insomniac as I said before, you are most likely already aware of these things anyway.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jennifer Edward 💖 (@justlivejen1)

10 Tips For Waking Up (Or At least Feeling Refreshed) After Being On #TeamNoSleep

• Drink up to two cups of the morning goodness.
  • Yes, we mean coffee! The morning after not sleeping too much, two cups is about the most alert you will be able to get with caffeine without gaining some unwanted side effects such as feeling restless, jittery, shakey, and even… dun, dun, dun… developing trouble falling and staying asleep that night!
• Minimize your sugar intake.
  • Because while you might feel nice and alert for a bit, the dreaded sugar crash will eventually hit you and make you feel even more tired than before.
• Take a power nap.
  • This means try to nap for no more than 25 minutes because that is literally all you need to refresh your mind, body, and grouchy soul.
• Go for a walk outside.
  • When you are tired, a walk may sound horrible but movement actually causes your mind to become more alert. Plus, natural sunlight sends your body signals to wake up.
• If you can, lighten your daily load.
  • The less you have to do the better for your mind and body after getting a horrible night’s rest. So, try to remove things from your to-do list and add them to other days where you can fit them. Less will still allow you to perform well and under a bit less stress.
• Take a morning shower.
  • A morning shower can give you a much-needed quick jolt of energy. But watch where you have your water temperature set. Too hot and you might feel relaxed but sleep. Too cold can just be harsh in the fall and wintertime. But a luke-warm shower may feel just right.
• Try eating a balanced breakfast.
  • You don’t want to overeat for your first meal of the day, and you don’t want to undereat as well. Even a plain low-fat Greek yogurt with some added berries will do. Or, few alternatives could be scrambled eggs with whole-wheat toast, a high protein meal replacement shake or smoothie, or even some oatmeal with nuts and berries would suffice.
• Take some much needed “me time.”
  • Try to do something that would be just for yourself that you would enjoy doing. But try to avoid things that would normally put you to sleep such as reading a book that you’ve read before or watching a TV show rerun.
• Wash your face.
  • Try washing with something that would wake up such as Morning Burst by Clean & Clear. (We promise, this is NOT a sponsored post. It has actually helped wake me up in the past!)
• Stay hydrated.
  • Being dehydrated can actually make you feel groggy and tired. So try to drink plenty of water!

---