How to Fight Sleepiness: Wake Up NOW

Exercise More

Getting more sleep during the night may not be enough to handle the problem of feeling weak during the day. Instead, try to get better sleep at night. Engaging in adequate exercises remains one of the best tips you can ever get on how to fight sleepiness.

In a study conducted in 2010 and published In Sleep Medicine, about 23 individuals over 54 years of age who were diagnosed with chronic insomnia were asked to either do more physical exercises or skip physical activities completely.

Those of them in the physical exercise group engaged in 30-40 minutes of exercises about 4 times a week, while those in the non-physical group spent the same amount of time attending lectures of visiting museums.

After 16 weeks, it was noticed that those who engaged in physical exercises fared much better with regards to sleep. Apart from the fact that they were able to get better sleep at night, they equally experienced mood changes and felt better all round.

So if you have been longing to fall asleep as soon as your back hits your mattress every night, you may need to engage in more physical exercises during the day to help you achieve this goal.

Eat Right

• Sugar

You will always get a temporary lift from sugar, but you will always end up feeling more tired than you were when the temporary boost wears off.

Most people often get tempted to visit the soda machine or candy counter after hitting the afternoon slump. Our body is designed in a way that makes it seek an instant source of energy to keep it going after a major task that ushered in some fatigue.

According to researches, people who suffer sleep-related problems often go for fatty or sugary foods when offered a variety of options. The human body will always crave for foods with high glycemic index due to the quick energy boost they provide.

But the problem is that you tend to feel a whole lot more tired than you were as soon as your initial sugar high goes down. According to a study, sleep-deprived patients felt sleepier and had more difficulties concentrating after consuming some energy drinks with high sugar contents. While the group that took non sugary-drinks remained unperturbed.

• Mint

Mint has a refreshing taste that never fails to help you snap out of any lethargic feeling whenever it sets in. So whenever you feel sleepy, take some mint to get your brain all alert and active again.

• Supplement

If you do not get adequate energy support from your regular diets, you may need to take some energy food supplements. These vitamins and mineral supplement can supply you with more energy. Things like creatine helps your body recycle used ATP.

Commit to a Regular Sleep Schedule

Daytime sleepiness has been linked to disturbed sleep and lack of sleep. So setting up a regular sleep schedule is one easy way you can fight daytime drowsiness. Adequate sleep will even help you fight fatigue, stress, depression and low energy.

We all have different bodies and therefore varied amount of sleep is required for our body to function adequately. However, getting 7-8 hours’ sleep per night is enough to keep your body functioning at its best. The following tips on how to fight sleepiness can be quite helpful:

• Adopt a regular sleep schedule with the consistent sleep time and wake time.

• Keep your bedroom dark and quiet at night.

• Buy quality and cozy mattress and pillows to increase your chances of getting adequate sleep.

• Read a good book or engage in some yoga or meditation for about 20 minutes before your bedtime.

• Set a limit on the amount of time you spend watching TV, looking at your computer screen and operating your mobile devices before your bedtime.

Try Some Water Therapy

This is one tip that works for most conditions. Taking water regularly all through the day will help you feel all good and lively at all time. Among most things, dehydration may be the only reason why you feel tired. The best way around this is to ensure that you start your day with a glass of water to boost your body metabolism, and take as many glasses of water as possible through the day.

Power Nap

A power nap has some controversies surrounding it, and it may not work for everyone-in fact, it leaves some people feeling weaker. If you are the type that enjoys power naps, then you can always wake yourself up with this technique. But it is important to make sure it doesn't exceed ten minutes or you will end up feeling groggy.

Adjust Your Intake of Caffeine

It is common for people to reach for their coffee as soon as they start feeling sleepy when they shouldn't. But, in reality, taking more than 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day does not help boost your energy. And doing this after 12 or 1 PM will make you sleep worse later in the night. Keep your coffee intake within 3 cups or less per day and always take it before lunch for the best results.

Get Some Sunshine

Your Vitamin D level is always increased when you get more exposed to sunshine, and this gives you an energy boost. This may explain why most people feel lazy during winter. Always take some time to exercise outside to get some sunshine, because at the same time, you get the benefits of engaging in regular exercises.

Enjoy Music

Your level of alertness can be greatly increased by listening to good music. A study conducted on how to help drivers overcome drowsiness showed that turning on their radios reduced accident rates drastically.

Look at Flashing Colors

Get an app that displays bright colors on your mobile device. This helps activate your brain receptors which will make you stay awake. This equally explains why using iPad and other such devices before bedtime can hinder your sleep at night.

Fresh Air

A breath of fresh air might be all you need to stay alert whenever you feel sleepy during the day. You can either go outside or open your office or car windows for some fresh air.

Enjoy Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy helps reduce daytime drowsiness, irritability, fatigue, low energy, and headaches. Some essential oils for aromatherapy include basil, rosemary and peppermint. Here are brief suggestions to how to use essential oil:

• Get a napkin and add a few drops of your favorite essential oil, sniff on it occasionally to help you stay awake.

• Another technique is to add a few drops of your favorite essential oil into your bathwater.

• You can even drop your favorite oil around your house or office for better results.

Switch Between Tasks To Get Your Mind Stimulated

Researches have shown that doing the same work over and over for long can harm your body the same way lack of sleep does. Reserve some tasking jobs for those hours you feel drowsy in your home or office. When you find yourself nodding, shift to do engaging things.

Give Your Eyes a Break to Avoid Fatigue

Working with eyes fixed on a computer screen for hours can worsen your sleep disorder. Look away from your computer screen occasionally to help your eye muscles relax.

Cognitive Restructuring

Cognitive restructuring is an arm of cognitive behavioral therapy to help you put troubling thoughts that drain your strength at the back of your mind. Focus on how you want to sleep tonight rather than how you were unable to sleep last night.

When to Visit a Doctor about Your Sleepiness

If you can't stop nodding your head when you wish to stay alert, consult a sleep specialist or doctor. A visit to your doctor may help you discover an underlying disease that makes you sleepy when you should be alert.