Donβt feel bright-eyed and bushy tailed?
A winter of dark mornings means that beauty sleep becomes even more important. If youβre logging lots of beauty sleep but still feel beat, these five things could be to blameβ¦
1. Dehydration – Aim to drink at least 6 to 8 water based drinks a day
2. Your Thyroid – Β Hypothyroidism is when your thyroid, a gland that produces hormones to control sleepiness and hunger, is underactive. Itβs a common cause of over-sleeping, but hard to pinpoint without a doctor.
3. Alcohol –Β While alcohol relaxes you initially, it can compromise your sleep quality β even if you are get the recommended 7-8 hours. The chemicals in alcohol disrupt your sleep cycle, preventing you from entering deep sleep.
4. Napping – A siesta can take the edge off an afternoon slump, but the duration of your downtime is crucial. It has been clinically proven that taking a nap for up to 30 minutes is revitalising, but any longer than that and youβll end up in a REM cycle for an hour. Waking mid-cycle can leave you feeling groggy so if you want to nap for longer, have one lasting 90 minutes.
5 – Mineral Deficiency – Magnesium plays a vital role in maintaining blood glucose levels, muscle health and concentration so a lack of it can leave you feeling lethargic. Magnesium is found in leafy vegetables and nuts, but a supplement can help too.
