Even though most of us have always heard that you need 8 hours of sleep a night, there have been some interesting and exciting new studies that show that you don't. As a matter of fact, sleeping for 8 or 9 hours might be what is making you so tired.
Now, what do you do when you wake up tired? Most people run for their coffee. Wait just a minute! Would you believe that caffeine may be one of the main causes of your daily fatigue? Can it be true that drinking that coffee that wakes you up and helps you stay alert, might be one of the main reasons that you are tired in the first place?
The reason that our bodies feel tired at certain times, and wide awake at others has a lot to do with our body temperature. Even though we have all been told that our body temperature is 98.4 degrees Fahrenheit, it actually varies by up to 6 degrees each day. In the late evening our body temperature peaks and begins to drop. That causes us to become drowsy. In the early morning, our body temperature begins to rise again, signaling the time to wake up.
Have you ever noticed that you seem a little more sleepy on an overcast, or rainy day? Isn't it a lot easier to sleep in during the winter, when it's dark and cold outside? Now contrast that thought with being awakened by the sun shining and birds chirping on a dazzling summer morning. Don't you feel energized and ready for the day? I know I do.
I worked the graveyard shift for a number of years, and I would get so tired. Even though I would feel like a walking zombie by the end of my shift, often times I would feel awake and energized after walking out in the sun and breathing the fresh air. I also noticed that it was much easier to sleep enough during the winter than the summer. In the summer, the heat, light, and noise made it almost impossible to sleep for even 6 or 7 hours a day. Many times I found that I would wake up around 2 in the afternoon and be unable to sleep the rest of the day, no matter how hard I tried. I wasn't sure why, but I noticed that it didn't happen during the winter.
I finally understand why this was, and what can be done. Let me share it with you!
First of all, let me explain the reason we feel more sleepy on a dark, overcast day. When it is dark, and very little direct sunlight is present, our bodies produce large amounts of melatonin. Melatonin causes our bodies to feel sleepy. That means that when it gets dark at night, our body temperatures begin to decline, and melatonin is released into our system. Those changes combine to make us want to sleep.
When we are exposed to direct sunlight, our body temperature rises, and the melatonin levels in our bodies quickly dissipate. When that happens, we feel alive, awake and energized.
On the issue of caffeine use, think about how you feel if you ingest too much caffeine. Does the term "WIRED" sound familiar? The caffeine artificially stimulates our systems, and masks the natural signs that our bodies give us. That doesn't necessarily cause us a problem in the short term, but before long, we find that our body temperature doesn't go down as early in the evening. So, even though our bodies want to sleep, they can't truly relax and settle in for deep sleep. That means that we can't get the deep, restful sleep that we need for our bodies to recover and regenerate. When we wake in the morning, we mask our fatigue with more caffeine, and so the problem gets worse by the day.
So what can you do to break this cycle and get some good solid sleep, that will leave you fresh and full of energy? Come find out.
About the Author
Aaron is an expert in health and fitness, with a specialty in strength sports. He is a nationally ranked Strongman competitor and hosts a weight lifting website www.nlpbodybuilding.com
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