Day time SLEEPINESS avoiding tips

Keep busy: I know the main problem is an inability to get stuff done, but if you force yourself to work, you could get into a groove and achieve that zen-like state of mind where time just flies.

Music. Or any aural stimulation, really. Have a conversation with a co-worker if you can’t turn on music.

Set consistent, healthy mealtime: An empty stomach is a major cause of sleepiness in humans. The food affects the hypothalamus (a gland in your body) and regulates its production of sleep-causing hormones. Regular mealtimes, not just regular sleep times, help regulate our circadian rhythms. Eating a healthy breakfast and lunch on time -- rather than grabbing a doughnut and coffee in the morning or a late sandwich on the run -- also prevents energy deficits during the day that will aggravate your sleepiness. Plan to finish eating meals two to three hours before bedtime.

                   Keep lunch light: It’s well-known that a big high-carb lunch will lead to a crash later in the day, but even a suitably enormous Primal lunch can wear you out. Instead of rushing to finish everything in the hour, graze at your desk. It’s pretty hard to fall asleep when you’re munching on nuts and berries all day.

                   rab a coffee or some tea. Caffeine, used intermittently and in moderation, is a good temporary pick me up. Plus, the antioxidants in tea can’t hurt. Just watch the sugar.

               Take B vitamins for energy. These should be taken normally throughout the day, but taking them with a meal gives your body a better chance to metabolize them for energy.

Get a good night's sleep and consistent wake up : Get adequate nighttime sleep. This is the most important step. A good 8 hours is recommended. Do not procrastinate work: get it done early so you can go to bed by 10 o'clock.

People who have problem sleepiness are often advised to go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including on weekends. But randomly setting an ideal bedtime can lead to more frustration if you suffer from insomnia and already have trouble falling asleep, says Barry Krakow, MD, medical director of Maimonides Sleep Arts and Sciences Ltd. in Albuquerque, N.M., and author of Sound Sleep, Sound Mind: 7 Keys to Sleeping Through the Night. Instead, Krakow suggests starting out by setting a wake-up time only. “Stick by that for the first few weeks or even months to establish a rhythm,” he says. “That process of always getting up at the same time helps to anchor the circadian rhythm. And if you do that and have a bad night, you’ll also to be sleepier the next bedtime.”

Gradually move to an earlier bedtime.Another approach to getting into a consistent schedule is to try going to bed 15 minutes earlier each night for four nights. Then stick with the last bedtime. Gradually adjusting your schedule like this usually works better than suddenly trying to go to sleep an hour earlier.

            De-clutter your schedule:“If you don’t think you can allow seven or eight hours for sleep, then you need to look at your schedule and make some adjustments,” says Verceles. “Move some activities from nighttime to early evening or from early to late morning.” Try to eliminate tasks that aren’t really important. Getting enough sleep at night will help you function better during your remaining activities.

Chew gum or always have something in your mouth: This helps keep the brain active. If you feel yourself about to yawn, swallow. 

Do not let your thoughts stray when you are tired: Keep distractions out of bed. The moment your thoughts begin to stray, you will be falling asleep in no time.“Reserve your bed for sleep and After marital act,” says Avelino Verceles, MD, assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and director of the school’s sleep medicine fellowship. “You shouldn’t read, watch TV, play video games, or use laptop computers in bed.” Don’t do your bills or have heated discussions in bed either. They may leave you sleepless.

              Don’t nap late in the day: Late afternoon napping can make daytime sleepiness worse if because it can interfere with nighttime sleep.

Take frequent small walks in the office space intermittently: It will activate and energize your brain. 

 

Exercise.

Regular exercise (30 minutes a day on most days) offers multiple benefits for sleep. Exercise, especially aerobic exercise, generally makes it easier to fall asleep and sleep more soundly.

Exercise also gives you more daytime energy and keeps your thinking sharp. And if you exercise outside in daylight, you get still more benefits. Sleep experts recommend 30 minutes of exposure to sunlight a day because daylight helps regulate our sleep patterns. 

                    Impromptu feats of strength (like Festivus!). See how many push-ups you can do in a minute. Do fifty dips using the arms on your chair. Complete thirty burpees. Just enough intense exercise to get your heart racing should do the trick.

For faithful adherents to the Primal Blueprint, midday energy shouldn’t be much of an issue, but it might crop up from time to time. These methods have served me well in the past, and I hope they work for our readers.

I’d be interested to hear back from you. Assuming you’re fairly good about the Primal Blueprint, eating low-glycemic index foods, getting plenty of exercise and sleep – have you had any issues with a mid afternoon slump? Let me know!

Deep breathing exercise will also help when feeling too sleepy.

Create a relaxing bedtime ritual:A relaxation routine before bedtime can help you separate from the day -- especially from activities that are over-stimulating or stressful, making it difficult to sleep. Try meditation, soaking in a hot bath, listening to soothing music, or reading a book. A cup of herbal tea or warm milk can also be soothing, but skip those if they cause you to wake at night to go to the bathroom.

 Avoid "nightcaps.":People often think that alcohol helps sleep, but it actually robs you of deep sleep, which is essential for feeling well rested. When the effects of alcohol wear off during the night, you’ll probably be wide awake again.

See a sleep specialist.

Daytime sleepiness can be caused by sleep disorders. If you are excessively sleepy consistently during the day even when you sleep well or if you fall asleep without warning during daily activities, you may have a sleep disorder such as narcolepsy or sleep apnea, a breathing problem that occurs during sleep. According to Krakow, undiagnosed and untreated sleep disorders are probably the greatest cause of daytime fatigue and sleepiness.

Problem sleepiness can also be caused by certain illnesses and medications. And mental conditions such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and anxiety are very commonly linked to sleep problems.

A sleep specialist can design a treatment program for you that treats the underlying sleep disorder and helps you develop better sleep habits and attitudes though cognitive behavioral therapy. Sometimes it takes a combination of medication and behavioral therapy to eliminate daytime sleepiness, but it can be done.