If you are reading this article, there is a high chance that you have been struggling to stay awake during the day for a while now. The number of people struggling with drowsiness has increased drastically over the years. Feeling sleepy and sluggish can greatly affect your work and mood.
Most people find solace in coffee and energy drinks. Unfortunately, all these are temporary solutions and come with a number of side effects when used over a long period.
Read on to learn more effective ways to get rid of drowsiness in the long term.
How to Get Rid of Drowsiness Naturally
Create a Regular Sleeping Pattern
An average person requires at least 7 hours of sleep. Disrupted sleep and lack of sleep are the main causes of drowsiness. If you find that you suffer from any of these two, you need to come up a regular sleeping pattern. Doing this will enable you to get adequate sleep and prevent daytime drowsiness.
To create a proper sleeping schedule and adapt to it, ensure you go to bed at the same time every day. Keep your bedroom completely dark when sleeping. Blinds or shades can help to block out light.
Get Enough Sunlight
It is important for you to make time during the day to enjoy the sunlight. This is a good way to keep yourself awake and energetic throughout the day. Sunlight is known to regulate sleep-wake patterns. This is because it helps the brain to adapt to being alert during the daytime.
Also, the sun is a source of vitamin D. When your body is deprived of this vitamin, you can suffer from sleep problems, especially daytime drowsiness.
You need to ensure you get a few minutes to enjoy the sun every morning. You'd better choose the time before the sun gets too hot.
Take Tea Immediately When You Wake Up
Doing this in the morning will boost your energy and stamina levels. This is also a great drink for getting rid of fatigue. It gives you a better start to your day and helps you keep awake and energetic throughout the day.
Rinse Your Face with Cold Water
Wondering how to get rid of drowsiness? When you start feeling drowsy during the day, consider splashing some cold water on your face. It causes a sudden change in temperature that helps to get rid of the drowsiness and jumpstarts your brain.
Always Eat a Healthy Breakfast
It is important for you to never skip breakfast if you want to successfully fight drowsiness during the day. When you skip breakfast, your sugar levels drop drastically and this lowers your energy levels. This takes your body to a restful mode to preserve the energy it has which leads to drowsiness.
Take Exercises
Exercising in the morning is highly recommended as it causes an adrenaline rush that keeps your mind alert throughout the day. Exercise for about half an hour every day. You can do aerobics, walk, jog, yoga or even dance.
Use Acupressure
If you find that you are always drowsy, you can give acupressure a shot. This will stimulate your nervous system and bring you back to active mode instantly, especially when accompanied by breathing techniques.
Avoid Taking Heavy Lunch
Just like breakfast, it is paramount for you to have a healthy meal for lunch. However, it is also important to ensure you don’t eat too much. When you overeat, you are bound to become drowsy as digestion takes place.
Lemon Water
How to get rid of drowsiness during the day? Try lemon. Lemon water helps to hydrate the body and flush out toxins which can cause fatigue and sleepiness. You can take a glass of lemon water once you wake up and 2 or 3 more during the day.
Use Aromatherapy
Scents are great for keeping one alert. You can burn your favorite fragrance oils in your work space. If you can’t, simply pour a drop or two of your favorite scent on your handkerchief and sniff it for a few minutes. Lemon, peppermint or eucalyptus can be great for keeping you awake.
Avoid Late Afternoon Naps
If you take a nap late in the afternoon, you are guaranteed to suffer from drowsiness the next day. This is because daytime naps mostly interfere with night sleep. If you do not sleep well at night, you will have a hard time trying to stay awake the next day.
Avoid Alcohol and Smoking
Stimulants such as alcohol and nicotine are known to affect the quality of sleep you get at night. For a good night’s sleep, you need to eliminate these two from your lifestyle. Most people think that alcohol helps induce sleep, yet it prevents one from enjoying deep sleep which is essential for helping the body to rest.
Create a Bedtime Ritual for Relaxation
Adopt a ritual for relaxing just before bedtime. This will help prepare your body for rest and sleep. Soaking in a hot bath, meditation, listening to music or reading a book can go a long way in helping your mind to relax and forget about the busy day you just had.
See a Sleep Specialist
It is possible that your daytime drowsiness is a result of a sleep disorder. If you’ve tried everything and are still drowsy during the day, a sleep specialist may help. Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and narcolepsy can cause daytime drowsiness.
A sleep specialist will be able to guide you on how to get rid of drowsiness effectively. They’ll help you come up with a program that helps manage the sleeping disorder. They will also use cognitive behavioral therapy to help you develop better sleep habits. Sometimes, a combination of medicine and behavioral therapy may be needed.
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