You wanted to hit your bed right at the time; but an unexpected email from your manager or your child wanting to hear more stories or your temptation to finish off the Netflix drama series derailed your plans. Adults should sleep 7 or more hours per night on a regular basis for optimal health as per the journal Sleep, 2015. Lack of sleep causes daytime drowsiness, depressed mood, poor memory and concentration, and increased stress.

 

Here are some science-backed ways to counter the effects of poor sleep. These help you have a productive day while aiding you to stay alert and awake.

• Try light therapy: Get out of your room and feel some natural light on your skin! Research finds stong link between natural light exposure and overall productivity. Sit in natural light for 30 minutes for rest, rejuvenation and, to improve the effectiveness of the day after a bad night’s sleep.
• Indulge in mild sports and exercise: Aerobic exercises, including jogging, cycling, walking helps ease through the day, reduce anxiety that might result due to poor sleep. However, one should not engage in intense exercise as it may cause more exhaustion.
• Sip green tea: Green contains caffeine and I-theanine, components that help you to improve attention. Phytomedicine, 2017 says that green tea influences psychopathological symptoms such as reduction of anxiety, better cognition, and active functioning of working memory as observed in functional MRI.
• Try chewing gum: According to a study performed by students of Coventry University, UK, students who did not chew gum felt more sleepy compared to other group of students who found substantial improvement in alertness.
• Yes please! coffee: A magnitude of evidence suggests that having 100 ml of coffee three to four times a day can help you chase your sleepiness away. The caffeine in the coffee helps you stay focused, finds Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2013.
• Drink warm lemon water: Take a cup of hot water with fresh lemon juice mixed in. Warm lemon water improves the metabolic rate, allowing you to stay energized for the day. Also, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2008 finds that citrus fruits such as lemon contains flavonoids to improve cognition.

 

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• Listen to the music you like: The paper The Psychological Functions Of Music Listening outlines that music regulates the mood, and improves social relatedness. Music also helps release endorphins, hormones that give you the feeling of energy and excitement.

 

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