ACTION PLAN
- Stay hydrated to boost your sleep quality
- Learn how to eat your way to a better sleep
- Aim for 20 minutes of daily exercise
If you’re waking up feeling tired even though you slept, the issue probably isn’t your sleep. Improving other areas of your life is also an important aspect of feeling Rested. So, we’ve designed this comprehensive guide JUST FOR YOU! Here we’ll give you all of the top tips straight from the world’s best sleep experts and therapists.
Your sleep quality is impacted by the things you put into your body and how you spend your day. If you’re just focusing on sleep, you may be missing the thing that is causing you to feel tired.
HOW TO BOOST YOUR SLEEP QUALITY
1. LET'S TALK ABOUT HYDRATION
One reason that you may be feeling is tired is that you aren’t drinking enough. Dehydration symptoms include fatigue and disrupted sleep. Here’s your action plan to fix it:
Choose water
Avoid drinking too much caffeine, alcohol, or sugary beverages. They are known to cause sleep disturbances. Choose water to keep yourself hydrated. Filtered water, clean tap water, or fancy sparkling water. Just choose water.
Start your day with a tall glass
Sleep dehydrates you, especially if you’re a mouth breather. Try starting your day off with a glass of water as soon as you wake up (even before you brush your teeth)!
Keep watering yourself all day: Keep water handy! Fill a reusable water bottle to help you keep track of your water intake. Have it next to you so that you’ll be reminded to keep sipping all day. Make sure to drink more water when you’re more active (at least 20 ounces of water for every 30 minutes of exercise).
Balance your diet
Eating lots of fruits and veggies can increase your water intake because they have a high moisture content!
While we’re on the topic of diet…
2. LET'S TALK ABOUT EATING YOUR WAY TO BETTER SLEEP
Your diet is not just responsible for your body composition, it’s important for your overall health. That includes your energy levels and sleep quality. If you’re waking up tired, you should look into your eating habits. Here’s an action plan to eating your way to better sleep:
Reach for whole foods
Processed foods lack many of the health-promoting nutrients of whole foods and contain preservatives and additives that are unhealthy.
Try the 80/20 rule: This rule states that you should aim to get 80% of your daily energy intake from healthy whole foods, and 20% can come from the “other” category.
Eat regularly: Skipping breakfast and eating irregularly is strongly associated with poor sleep quality. Making sure to eat regularly will help to keep your circadian rhythm strong.
Avoid eating 3 hours before bedtime
Give your body time to process foods, especially high sugar, high fat, or spicy foods that are known to negatively impact your sleep.
But what if I’m hungry before bed?
First, try thinking of food that you find less than appealing and think “will this less appealing food hit the spot?”
If you answer no, you’re probably craving a snack instead of actually being hungry.
If you answer yes, maybe you do need a little bedtime snack. Make sure to pick something light and balanced as to not impede your sleep.
3. LET'S TALK ABOUT EXERCISE
Exercise can be so good for sleep that it’s sometimes prescribed as an alternative treatment for sleep problems! It can help you fall asleep faster, sleep longer and more efficiently, and increase your restorative deep sleep. You can use exercise to boost your sleep quality and feel more Rested.
How to exercise your way to better sleep
If you currently aren’t exercising, any exercise that you enjoy is a great start. You should aim for around 20 minutes of daily exercise. There are three general categories of exercise that promote better sleep:
- Aerobic exercise (aim for 80% max heart rate)
- Strength training (pump the iron)
- Flexibility training (yoga, pilates, etc)
When exercise interferes with sleep
Keep the vigorous exercise to daytime hours and keep any evening exercise light as intense exercise too close to bedtime can increase alertness and might make it harder to sleep.
QUICK TIPS:
Check out this article for how to make the most of your morning with an energy-boosting morning routine!
If you try all of these suggestions and you’re still waking up feeling tired every day, you should talk to your doctor. It’s possible that medications or other medical reasons may be causing your fatigue.
