Around this time of the year, many of us feel tired and worn out. The holidays are over and we are still in the midst of winter, so we may be feeling bogged down as a result. On the other hand, many of us may find it difficult to get a good night’s sleep, which is promoting further fatigue.
There are many different things you can do to improve your sleep and energy, but the latest research findings suggest that many of our common coping mechanisms to improve sleep and energy can actually be harmful rather than good for you.
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For example, when you’re feeling tired, you may reach for coffee or sugar as a pick-me-up. Although you will feel temporarily alert, this is short-lived, as you will soon crash. Furthermore, masking your tiredness with substances could be covering up an underlying medical issue, as tiredness is a common symptom of several medical conditions.
Furthermore, the high consumption of sugar that many of us partake in can lead to obesity and diabetes, which are two conditions that can promote tiredness and fatigue.
Many of us also use energy drinks to feel more alert, but the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that consuming energy drinks is associated with several health problems such as increased blood pressure, heart palpitations, and low levels of calcium, which is linked to numbness, convulsions, and muscle spasms.
Tips to prevent tiredness and improve sleep
Researchers do recommend other strategies that can help improve sleep along with improving fatigue and tiredness.
For starters, if you’re a female, have your iron levels checked. Being low in iron can lead to fatigue along with other symptoms.
Another tip is to avoid stimulants near bedtime as it can disrupt your sleep.
Ensure you are eating a balanced diet that offers a variety of vitamins. Being deficient in certain vitamins can leave you feeling fatigued.
Always stay well hydrated. Even the slightest reduction in hydration is enough to promote tiredness.
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Do what you can to improve your sleep. This can involve a variety of tactics including taking a warm bath before bed, meditation, keeping your room at a cooler temperature, turning off technology devices prior to bed, avoid late-night eating and drinking, and ruling out any underlying medical conditions, which could be preventing you from sleeping.
If you utilize these tips to improve your energy and sleep, and yet you are not experiencing any improvements, then you should speak to your doctor about running some tests to determine the exact cause of your tiredness.
Related: Get all day energy with these tips
