8 tips to help you wake up easier in the winter

Winter, getting out of bed every morning can become a nightmare for many people. How do you escape the temptation of warm mattresses and soft blankets?

Dr. Siobhan Banks and graduate student Crystal Grant are two experts in the field of sleep and biological clocks at the University of South Australia. In an article on The Conversation, they showed 8 tips to help you wake up easier and more comfortably in the winter.

When you, the first 15 minutes is the most difficult time, Grant and Dr. Bank explain. That's because your brain is not really working properly. The effect called sleep inertia will make you feel tired. Exactly at this moment, some parts of the brain cannot be awake yet, they are still asleep.

When you wake up in the morning, the first 15 minutes is the hardest time.

Sleep inertia is what will help you sleep again if you unfortunately wake up in the night. But in the morning, it causes discomfort. Even if you wake up suddenly, because the phone ringing or the alarm clock, sleep inertia can affect your cognitive ability.

The level of this sleep inertia is governed by the time of day, your sleep quality, how much sleep or deep sleep you have?

So, if you are extremely difficult to get out of the blanket in the morning, a long enough and deep sleep the night before is essential. In addition, sleep inertia will not allow you to wake up immediately when listening to an alarm. Give me a moment and apply the 8 tips below:

1. Find a strong light source when you wake up

A strong light source when you wake up can help you quickly reset your body clock, and keep your circadian rhythm steady. Light blocks the body from securing melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleepiness. When you wake up, you can turn on the electricity in the room or let the sun spill into the bed.

The secret to keeping the circadian rhythm for the body and improving health is simply to be exposed to a source of bright light in the morning when you wake up.

2. But do not expose your eyes to strong light the night before

You should not use mobile phones, tablets or laptops in bed before sleeping.

In contrast, too much light at night can make sleep difficult. As said, strong light prevents the body from releasing hormones melatonin causing drowsiness.

This is why scientists recommend that you do not use devices such as mobile phones, tablets or laptops in bed before bed.

3. Do not eat or drink for 2 hours before bedtime

Eating a large meal too close to bedtime can put pressure on the esophageal sphincter (the muscles at the end of the esophagus prevent acid and stomach from moving back from the stomach to the throat) when you lie down.

This can cause heartburn, a cause that disturbs sleep.

Eating your last main meal at least two to three hours before bedtime will ensure that the food is digested and reduces the pressure on the esophageal sphincter.

Also, drinking plenty of water before bed is not good, because it can make you wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.

4. Do not drink alcohol for at least 4 hours before sleeping

Alcohol can make you feel sleepier and easier to sleep. But a bad story after that, drinking alcohol too close to bedtime can also disrupt your night's sleep.

Metabolic processes to resolve alcohol during sleep often wake you up at night, causing sweating, nightmares, headaches, and decreased sleep quality until near morning.

The advice is to avoid drinking alcohol at least four hours before going to bed.

5. Reduce stress and relax

Try a hot bath or read a book in silence, helping you relax before bed.

Stress can affect your sleep. So, finding a way to relax before going to bed can help prevent the sleepless nights staring at the ceiling.

Try taking a hot bath or reading in silence. Choose paper books, not e-books. Also, you can drink some warm milk, but don't drink too much.

6. Avoid and

Exercising, playing games and watching TV before going to bed is not recommended, as all these irritate the brain and make you more alert than sleepy.

7. Establish a good sleeping habit and practice regularly

Your body follows a biological clock, controls the time of sleep and when you wake up. The biological clock works best, if you maintain regular habits. Try to set a set hour for sleep and the time to wake up.

Don't forget tip # 1, exposure to strong light in the morning is very important to reset your biological clock in your body.

8. Keep the bedroom warm

A quiet, dark bedroom is one of the conditions to help you sleep well.

A quiet, dark bedroom and maintaining a temperature of about 20-22 ^o C is the perfect condition to help you have a quality sleep.