How you wake up is equally important just as how you go to bed at night. Just as going to bed requires certain habits to ensure you have a good night, waking up should also be done in a certain way to ensure that all your body systems are awake and you are ready to face the day with great energy and optimism.
If you normally hit the snooze button, reach for your phone, or make a dash to the coffee maker, then know that you have been doing it all wrong, and no wonder you are unable to enjoy your mornings. Here are some of the things you do wrong when you wake up and which stops you from starting your day on the right footing-:
You prepare in the dark
The first thing you should do when you wake up in the morning is to expose yourself to a hefty dose of bright sunlight. This is very important for waking up all your body system since your internal clock is sensitive to light and darkness and will always program your mind and body depending on the amount of light you are exposed to. It is recommended that the moment you wake up, you should open the curtains or do some workouts on the porch where there is adequate sunlight.
If you wake up before the sun is out, you should ensure that you turn on the lights and not prepare in the dark or under low lighting conditions. However, if you wake up too early when it is still very dark, you should not shock your internal clock by exposing it to a lot of light. Increase the exposure to light as you move towards sunrise.
You are a slave of the snooze button
When you first wake up to the sound of an alarm, there is always a strong temptation to hit the snooze button and go back to sleep. This is a very big trap and you will always lose every time you fall for it. The only to beat this urge to be conscious and resist the urge by also being strong. Think immediately about the day you have ahead and all that you plan to achieve. Find a reason to get out of bed and get going with the day.
If you hit the snooze button, however, the alarm will go off again and you will find that you need more sleep. In the end, you will wake up tired, and with very low moods. If you don’t want to be the slave of the snooze button, always seep with the alarm clock in different rooms, such that when it rings, you will have to leave your bed and turn it off. In this way, you will find the urge to come back to bed after leaving too strong.
You take coffee the first thing in the morning
Some people claim that they are unable to function without coffee and so they have to make coffee the first thing in the morning. It may sound stylish and cool, but it is the wrong way to start off your day. Most people do this as a way of waking up, not knowing that the process of waking up will happen naturally with the help of light, movement and time.
Coffee is a stimulant which works by inhibiting the effects of adenosine – a brain chemical responsible for suppressing sleep during the day. In the morning, the levels of this chemical in the body are very low but gradually increases during the day. It is therefore that if you want to get the best of your coffee, then take it once you reach the office, but no immediately after waking up.
You skip breakfast
Once you get a very comfortable sleep on your Dreamcloud mattress, you will need to fuel your body in the morning so that you have the energy and you are well prepped for the day. The best source of this fuel is a well-balanced breakfast. However, most people like missing breakfast for one reason or another, and this is always a great disservice they do to themselves.
A healthy breakfast, full of fibers and proteins is necessary if you want to remain fully awake and go through your day with a lot of vigor. You shouldn’t go for breakfasts that are high in unsaturated fats because they may make you feel like falling asleep. A bonus tip for having breakfast every morning is that it may help you lose weight.
You never wind down the previous evening
If you go to bed with a tired body and a very active mind, you won’t get a nice sleep, even if you have the most comfortable Dreamcloud mattress in your bedroom. It is important to relax both the mind and body before tucking into bed. This is how you slow down the internal processes and let them get ready to also rest. If you go to bed without properly winding down, you are likely to wake up feeling groggy because your mind might have been working all that while. It also goes without saying that you should get engaged in anything that will increase your mental activity and make it more difficult for you to fall asleep. Avoid all the electronics and don’t take coffee just before going to bed.
You don’t get adequate and quality sleep
If you are not getting at least seven hours of uninterrupted sleep every night, then your waking up will always be messy since you will always want to continue with the sleep. It is very important to get quality sleep every single day if you are to wake up in the morning feeling strong and refreshed. Closely related to this is the fact that you should have regular times for going to bed and waking up so that you can have a well-balanced circadian rhythm, and be able to get the most from your sleep.
