"I have trouble falling asleep at night and as a result I feel tired in the mornings. This leaves me feeling sluggish and unproductive during the day. What can I do?"
Many do not realise that waking up well is as important as falling asleep to prevent insomnia. If you allow a lousy night of sleep to upset you the next morning such that you stay in bed, refuse to exercise and give yourself an excuse to be sluggish, a negative vicious cycle will be ensue, which results in the poor sleep perpetuating the next night. However, if you wake up well, exercise and be active upon waking, your brain will know it is the morning and it will signal to you when it is night and this results in a healthy circadian rhythm and better sleep.
Suggestions:
1) Improve your sleep quality by observing good sleep hygiene:
-Go to bed and get out of bed the same time all the time.
-Have a soothing pre-sleep routine
-Avoid doing things in bed except sleep and sex to prevent feeling alert in bed all the time
-Avoid tossing and turning in bed for more than 15 minutes if you cannot fall asleep as you will get anxious. Go to another room and read a book and try to sleep again when tired.
2) Establish a good exercise schedule. Try and do so in the morning so as to wake the mind up and do not let one night of poor sleep stop you from exercising. The best way to stop that sluggish feeling is to stay active and activated by fun activities!
