Sleeping on the Job?

The Research Institute announced the results today of a sleep study conducted in November 2013 with approximately 1,140 members, from three U.S.-based companies. Researchers found that:

• 76 percent of employees felt tired most days of the week
• 40 percent of employees doze off during the day once per month
• 30 percent of employees were unhappy or very unhappy with the quality or quantity of their sleep
• 15 percent doze off during the day at least once per week to once per day

Participants noted that lack of sleep impacted their energy and motivation to participate in physical activities and eat healthy foods. They experienced difficulty concentrating at work or remembering tasks, and felt more irritable at work and home. Sleeplessness also made it harder to manage stress, further impacting their difficulties sleeping.

So, how can you become a morning person?

Commit yourself to waking up at the same time every morning, even on weekend, even on holiday. Persistence is the key to building any habit.

Get out of bed as soon as your alarm clock goes off. Snooze button is your worst enemy. You are just a human, so you can be weak and tempted sometimes to push a snooze button. That’s why it is better to make sure your alarm clock hasn’t got one.

Open the curtains to get exposed to the sun or, if you have to wake up earlier than the sun rises, turn on the lights. This lets your body know that the day has begun and it is time to wake up. Same rule applies when you go to sleep, so make sure it is dark in your bedroom at night.

Take contrast shower to help your body wake up. This little trick not only will give you fresh feeling but also will speed up your blood circulation for an energy boost.

Get moving, jog outside or simply walk your dog out, it’s all good when it comes to exercising in the morning.

Things you should avoid doing to be an early riser:

1. Skipping breakfast. Healthy nutritious breakfast gives us energy for the whole day. Once you skip it, your productivity will hit its lows and you will feel tired and sleepy for the rest of the day.
2. Drinking coffee after noon. Coffee does give you an energy boost, but you should drink it in the morning. Otherwise you will have troubles falling asleep. And, keep in mind that it refers to other caffeine products too.
3. Watching TV or playing computer games before the bedtime. Probably, you have already heard that television and computer games have a great impact on your nervous system and bring you to arousal state; and it results in various sleep disorders and insomnia.
4. Consuming alcohol in the evening. Undoubtedly alcohol makes you sleepy and more relaxed, but you shouldn’t use it as an extra help falling asleep. It turns out that alcohol messes up the sleep patterns and prevents you from having a quality sleep you need. It is more likely it will harm you giving the morning hangover rather than do good helping fall asleep.
5. Having big meal for dinner. Eating heavy or spicy food at the dinner table is not a good idea. Your body should rest when you are sleeping too instead of digesting the food. Besides, it leads directly to weight gain and obesity. So, do yourself a favor and have a light dinner.

And, of course, the most important thing you need to wake up early is motivation! Find a reason to get up and you will see how easy it is to become a morning person. Good luck!