Here we are in another year and starting to wind down from the holidays. Travel, being with family, friends, different schedules can all have a negative impact on our circadian rhythms. So does any of this sound like you?
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Can’t stay asleep
- Wake up feeling groggy?
- Crashing mid-day and feel like you need a nap, sugar or caffeine?
- Feel tired but wired?
These are all signs that your circadian rhythms are off. There can be several causes of this.
- Sleeping in on weekends to catch up
- Tend to be a night owl staying up later than normal as holidays can do to us.
- Poor diet, having more carbs, sugar or alcohol.
- working or being indoors more
So here are a few tips to begin to re-set your Circadian Rhythm to wake refreshed and have good energy throughout the day
- Get light in the morning. When light enters your retina it stimulates the hormone serotonin which enhances mood, digestion and energy.
- Begin your day with 12 ounces of water. Do this prior to drinking coffee, tea or eating. We wake up being dehydrated from the night and hydration wakes up our cells including our brain to function properly and enhance focus
- Keep your bedroom dark and cool. The darkness helps to raise melatonin which is the hormone that promotes healthy sleep. The cooler temperature enhances sleep as opposed to our bodies being too warm.
- Keep a regular sleep/ wake schedule.
- Avoid eating 3 hours prior to bedtime.
When incorporating just these 5 simple steps you can begin to sleep deeper, wake refreshed and gain better focus to accomplish your days activities.
