You have to ask yourself: Are these day habits making you tired?

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

The key to great sleep sometimes lies with what you are doing during the time leading up to sleep. Not what you are doing during the evening, but what you do throughout the day.

Exhaustion is characterising our society. Sometimes not even quality sleep on a new bed is enough to kick the foggy head and tired body that you drag out of bed in the morning.

How long does it take you to realise that your body is exhausted and that perhaps it is time to evaluate your daily habits? It’s strange that in a society that is constantly connected, to the point that we panic when batteries on our phones start running low, we don’t take note when our bodies are running low on energy. Instead, we pop an energy drink and carry on running. Normally, it isn’t until we realise we can’t sleep properly at night or are knocked down by a vicious cold, that we start thinking about change.

And then it is only thinking. Sometimes we never put the change into practice. The thing is, we are quick to jump to a solution without addressing the real problem at hand. An extra cup of coffee or a handful of supplements are a temporary fix. It could be that we are afraid to analyse our lives, or rather that we are afraid of what we will find within, but to get the most out of your sleep at night, you need to be sure that your day to day habits are good ones.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”32294″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Kick these and set yourself free from exhaustion

Ready to be kind to your own battery? You can start by having a closer look at just what is draining you more than you should allow it to. Remember that a day well spent, a day filled with good habits can have an effect on how you sleep.

• Working holidays

Um, anyone else see the irony here? We have just finished the festive season, but how many of you how went away for the holidays actually shut down? Even when we know we are supposed to be on holiday, enjoying time away from the busy real world, we can’t help but check emails or even do a little work. If you are going to be working while on holiday, you might as well cancel your leave and stay at the office. That is about as much good as a working holiday.

• Working lunches

Okay, same rules apply. If you are going to take a break during the workday, then take an actual break. These days, people are very much inclined to power their way through an 8 hour work day with not so much as a 10 minute break. This is damaging and defeats the point of having laws in place to enforce a break. Make a habit of taking a proper break and instead of sitting down, take a walk. A 20 minute walk can be as good as taking a nap.

• Sleeping in

Even on the weekends, sleeping in is not the way to go if you are looking to prevent exhaustion and regain your energy. If you have a set sleep schedule for 5 days of the week and 2 days where the schedule is off balance, then you can perhaps see why you are feeling so tired. Catching up on a few extra hours of sleep might seem like a great idea, but could be very much counterproductive.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”7953″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

• Coffee in the afternoon

For most of us, energy tends to waver in the afternoon. In an ideal world, when that slump hits, a 10 – 30 minute nap would have you mentally and physically sorted, but this is not that kind of world so many of us settle for a cup of coffee. Consuming caffeine around 6 hours before you go to bed has been shown to make falling asleep and staying asleep difficult. Struggling to stay asleep is the ingredient to feeling down and sluggish during the day. So it could be best to avoid the urge to pour yourself a cuppa in the afternoon.

• Declutter your mind, and your home

A cluttered home might be your thing, but a messy home is not healthy for your mind and it won’t do you any favours when it comes to staying energised. With laundry piling up, a dirty kitchen and a messy bedroom, your brain won’t know where it needs to focus. Its tireless effort to concentrate on a single thing will end up with you becoming exhausted. Now is the time to get rid of the clutter and clear out your home or workspace. When you are more organised, you will start feeling less fatigued.

• Drink more water and get more exercise

Staying hydrated can be a key factor to staying energised. When you are even slightly dehydrated, your heart has to work harder to pump blood and it becomes more difficult to get oxygen to all of your organs. Drinking water is a big deal, not an overrated hype. If your body is working harder because of a lack of water, it makes sense that you will feel tired all day.

And then there is the power of exercise. “But how can I stay energised if I’m using that energy to exercise?” you ask? Physical activity has been known to improve sleep and as we all know, when you sleep well you have energy.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”17551″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Take care with how you approach your day and know which habits are helpful and which are harmful. As we said before, it is often how you approach your day that affects how well you sleep later on.

We have a selection of some of the best beds for sale in South Africa. Sleeping on the right bed is another way to improve your energy levels and fight off exhaustion. Contact us today or browse through our catalogue of beds and order one online.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]