Morning
Sleeping in – one of life’s sweetest pleasures! If you’re a good sleeper, sleep the morning away! But if you struggle with your sleep at night, a very consistent “start your day” time, regardless of how well you slept that night, can really help. Starting your day at a regular time gives your brain a sort of circadian “anchor”, a way to establish an end to sleep and a start of wake time. It can take some effort setting that alarm for the same time each day and ignoring the snooze button, but you can do it! Yawn, stretch, feet on the floor, and go get some light for a little while. Good morning!
Napping
I know what you’re thinking…napping is probably bad. Actually, napping is not always a bad thing. In fact, a short, early afternoon nap can be quite restorative, allowing us to make it through the afternoon and evening. Otis prefers to power nap in the back yard on nice days (I think he’s on the chaise more than I am). On the other hand, long and late naps sometimes leave us feeling a little groggy afterwards, and they can make getting to sleep that night more difficult. But if you can fall asleep every afternoon, it is very important to examine why. A plethora of things can increase daytime sleepiness: medical disorders, medications, sleep disorders, not enough sleep, heavy foods, alcohol, increased physical exertion, depression, a common cold…heck, even plain boredom! Check with your doctor to see if a short, early siesta is good for you or if you might have a sleep disorder (e.g., sleep apnea) at night that is causing the daytime sleepiness.
How is your morning routine? Up and at ‘em at the same time, or just up whenever? And how about naps? Do they seem to affect your nighttime sleep?
Til Morning,
Michael
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