How Do You Feel When You Wake Up In the Morning?
Last night over a glass of wine, my friend announced he was on day 1 (and take 2) of a new diet. Well, not a diet, exactly, and I’m paraphrasing here, but he said something to the effect of: “When I cut out dairy, processed sugar and wheat, I wake up every day feeling better than I’ve ever felt in my life.”
Gah. I want to feel like that! Who doesn’t want to feel like that, frankly. But I don’t, and I notice it most when I first wake up in the morning.
Do most people wake up feeling awesome? Seriously?
The thing is, I would wager that most of us know exactly what we need to do to feel our best.
- We know how much sleep we need *
- We can list the foods we digest most easily **
- We can identify the habits that make us feel like garbage and, in theory anyway, we could not do those things ***
- We know what kind of exercise our body craves ****
- We understand who make us feel all happy and glowy *****
I certainly do, I just don’t always do it—and how boring would life be if I did. (That’s what I tell myself, anyway—which might be part of the problem?) The truth is, I am a sucker for a good time, I’m pretty spontaneous, but I’m also someone who feels best when I stick to a routine. Because as anyone over the age of 30 knows, good times often come at a cost. And that feeling of waking up totally rested and relaxed? You can’t beat it. So I’m going to embark on a mission to have more mornings like that, and fewer when I wake up with a four-letter word in my head just because the alarm went off.
Now tell us, and be brutally honest, please: Do you wake up every day feeling refreshed? If so, I am jealous, but I want to know your secrets. Share, share.
* 8 hours
** Vegetables, cooked or raw, gluten-free grains, some fish, yummy good fats
*** I’m not telling
**** Vigorous yoga, hiking, boot camp drills in the park
***** You know who you are, and I thank you!
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i don’t.. but i think i’m going to go home tonight and make my own list like you did. i’m inspired and want to wake up feeling great! it gets old having to drag myself out of bed.
When I’m doing all the stuff you mention – eating well, exercising, etc. – I generally wake up feeling great. I have a hard time readjusting in the fall and spring when we reset the clocks, but I eventually get on track. And one of the biggest things for me in waking up well is having lots of natural light coming into the room. Lots of times I have to wake up in the dark, but if the season is right and my husband forgot to close the blinds, waking up is much better.
I suffer from terrible bouts of insomnia, more often than not, so I feel great if I can sleep until 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning without waking during the night. I eat well, exercise 6 days a week and do a lot of things that I truly love, so I have to be satisfied with what goes on during the day and not focus so much on my misery during the night and first thing in the morning. My vices are caffiene, craft beers, an occasional glass of wine and my love of fine dining, but (like you said) life only happens once, so why refrain from what you love. All things in moderation, I say.
I’m loathe to admit it but the only times I’ve had the experience of waking up like a house on fire is when I’m at some kind of retreat/ashram doing hours of outdoor exercise a day and on some very restricted diet that never includes dairy, caffeine or booze. That said, when I get closer to that kind of living at home, it of course makes a huge difference. But it’s hard! Like my partner in crime, I too am a big pleasure seeker. :)
I wake up feeling like crap most the time. And if any of the genius women around here can solve my problems.. I would be surprised because most doctors can’t.
1. I have cronic nightmares. I spend the majority of my night having 4 – 6 dreams that I can remember per night that range from the general mundane but usually work on fear, torture, death or aspects of hell on earth.
2. I overheat like no tomorrow… And this is no mid life crisis, I am 25. I now sleep with a single thin blanket with a comforter available to the side incase I get cold.. Which maybe once a night I will get cold.. And then promptly an hr or so later overheat again. My body runs like a furnace. This is true while I am on birth control and now that I am off it as well. Unless I am sick… I run very warm
I think both of these give me a very crappy sleep… I wake up feeling like I haven’t slept at all. Help.
Refraining from drinking makes my mornings brighter and clearer than any other dietary change.
@Avigayil, all through graduate school I had problems with disturbing dreams/nightmares and I’m sure it was stress related. Maybe focusing on reducing your stress instead of focusing on the sleep itself could help?? A bit of meditation before bed, perhaps. And nice relaxing bedtime rituals. It sounds like you’ve been to doctors so maybe this has come up already, but – Have you been tested for hormone problems (thyroid or the sex hormones)? Diagnosed with depressive illness such as bipolar?
you ask such great questions! i know the answers to them and i wish i lived my life accordingly more often… but sometimes you just have to come home after a REALLY LONG WEEKEND of work and do nothing but eat dark chocolate, drink champagne straight from the bottle, and watch trashy tv.
thanks for the insights! tomorrow is another day and thursday morning, i intend to wake up feeling awesome! :)
Thanks for the reply Rebecca.
Stress is indeed a trigger and I have been advised to reduce stress towards bedtime: don’t work on any intense projects or get into any intense discussion anywhere near bedtime. (I’m a university student and a wife).
No caffeine (I don’t drink coffee or ‘real’ tea) and any stimulants are supposed to be kept to a minimum 4 or so hours before bed.. so no chocolate, no very involving movies or storylines,.. etc. Black out curtains have been advised to provide absolute darkness to help my brain rest (which I have). I also use a fan 365 a year to block out other noise and provide a constant sound (but not white noise which i find annoying) that I can relax too.
I have been checked for hormonal stuff, and I am all peachy. I do suffer from chronic migraines and there is a theory that my dreams may somehow be related to my constant headaches – kind of a mental reaction to physical pain.
The stress related things are really hard – I tend to be a ‘evening’ productive person so I am sure that contributes to an active night brain. The headaches I am sure also contribute…. the overheating – no clue.
Meditation I suck at. I have tried a relaxing bedtime ritual of having a bath before bed.. Complete with bubbles and bath oils. Besides that I just haven’t found anything that works. But it really does effect my life. :-(
I also read on here that the light from computers can have issues with the production of meletonin. I tend to be on my computer a lot in the evening.. but I try to get off it at least a 1/2 hr before bed. Once in a while i find myself taking a meletonin supplement just to sleep though.
I’m with you — I need more of those mornings! Since I graduated from college, I’ve barely had any hangovers, but a lot of mornings after sleepless night because I was a/ stressed b/ nauseas or c/ wired…need to ease up on all of this!
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Ooh, I can definitely tell when I’ve been bad, especially when I eat too many carbs (which is less than you’d think).
What absolutely does help me feel great every morning is the following baseline lifestyle (I do think I am a ‘natural’ morning person anyway though):
* high raw vegan, low carb, pretty high protein diet emphasizing greens and healthy fats
* yoga and running (running is great for active meditation as well as bonding with my dog and just being outside)
* hydration, hydration, hydration
* clean cosmetics
@ Avigayil: I am not sure if you have the financial means, but I know that Traditional Chinese Medicine is checking sleep, dreams and most of all sweat/ heat during night (which to them is in deed NOT right) during their analysis. I once had that for a year or so as well, but with accupuncture and chinese herbs it went away. Maybe worth trying for you! I whish you all the best!. BTW for me an outside walk and aromatherapy (e.g. lavender pillow spray) also help a little.
@Avigayil – That sucks! Nothing is worse than getting bad sleep. I have no suggestions for overheating other than staying appropriately hydrated, including electrolytes. Low potassium levels plagued my mother with night sweats for years.
Two things for the dreams. One. Lily of the Valley. Go get a bulb or three and force them indoors. Keep them on your nightstand, or in your bedroom if possible. If not, just bring them into the room with you at bedtime. If you can’t get a live plant, get some aromatherapy based on that scent (lavender, jasmine and honeysuckle are good complements and partial substitutes). It targets dreams and promotes restful ones. My friend had hellish dreams all through college, unrelated to stress, and they began chilling out after I suggested the lily scent. She’s also since learned lucid dreaming with a moderate degree of success but not recall. Which is my second suggestion.
My dreams were fairly messed up, very active but not nightmarish thankfully, until she told me about lucid dreaming. I used to wake up feeling exhausted from doing too much while sleeping! We’ve both since gained mastery over a majority of our dreams. Some nights still catch us off guard (pizza for a midnight snack?), but we’re both dreaming much better.
I am a night owl, so it’s hard for me to wind down in the evenings because I’m enjoying things too much. This translates to less sleep because I work a 9-to-5 with a long commute, so it’s hard to make up the time. When I DO get a lot of sleep, I love mornings. I love the quality of the light, I love the feeling of the day having potential – I just don’t see it as often as I should because of my nighttime habits.
That being said, it’s something that’s always been a part of me. I like sleep once I’m there, but life is so compelling otherwise that it seems too big a commitment to not be awake! I was a horrible sleeper as a baby, an evening chatterbox as a kid in spite of my parents attempts to get me to respond to a winding-down routine.
I relate to the idea that it seems boring to adhere to good habits (sometimes) – and yeah, totally part (or all!) of my problem.
As far as late-night computer usage, I find that I am pretty enthralled by my electronics, and they’re hard to put down. I find them most compelling when I’m anxious or lonely, and the two usually amplify each other or cause the other to occur. I’ve found that taking L-theanine and 5-HTP help, and I try to keep up with both of them especially when I’m on the more negligent side of taking care of myself.
This post is timely for me – I was just telling my boyfriend that I hate how I always feel super crabby and annoyed when I wake up in the morning. For my whole life (up until a few months ago), waking up was the worst part of my day because I always overslept and had to rush-rush-rush to get somewhere.
Plus, having vivid dreams in the morning usually leaves a terrible emotional aftertaste on the brain.
Gotta change it!
Avigayil – your nights seem to mirror my own. I am older than you are, but I’ve had nightmares and heat my entire life. My oldest son also gets overheated at night, since he was an infant, but I’m not sure whether he has the nightmares. Sometimes, even if I do get enough sleep, I wake exhausted; it seems my nightmares and dreams have stimulated me so much that I feel like I’ve been awake all night. For me, it is not hormonal, thyroid or even stress related. It just is what it is and what it always has been. I do try meditation, but it is not always what most people would deem as sucessful, but that is just the way meditation is. It is the process, not the end result.
I honestly feel pretty good most mornings. I’m less stressed than I used to be, have a happy 17 month old and great partner.
If it’s a dark day, I feel a little down, but I have a Charlotte monkey! She needs me to be positive or neutral.
Don’t get me wrong–I’m not a sunny person, just a realistic optimist. Insomnia and anxiety hit sometimes, ie holidays, the puppy can be annoying, i might be upset that the baby floor tiles that were safe last year will be banned in France next year. I’ve gained weight, but spring is coming and I’ve started working out and doing yoga again. Honestly, some things and people suck, and politicians are FOS hypocrites, but that makes it interesting. There are things I do have control over to make things better, even if it’s simply getting dried mango slices from the bulk bin at the hippie store instead of packaged at Trader Joe’s.
When I have insomnia now, I stare at the ceiling and see the stars. My mind decided it was a happy, peaceful vision, and it’s pretty cool.
I exercise daily ~sometimes for two hours, sometimes 20 minutes. I never eat red meat and consume most of my protein from legumes. I am consistent about when I go to bed and drink lots of water all day and night long. My digestive system runs like the day I was born and at 57 years old I take only supplements. I am giving up my microwave and staying young and humorous by raising an almost 14 year old daughter(we laugh together every night….belly laughter with someone you love is very healing)
I wake up looking forward to the day ahead with no aches or pains.
On excessive dreaming (you know it when you see it) – I had amazing results after one session of acupuncture. He did a point in the palms of my hands, on the fatty part near the base of the fingers. That knocked those crazy dreams right out.
I wake without an alarm right at 6am feeling refreshed. I am VERY unhappy if anything forces me to be awake past 10pm, but I usually hit the hay around 9:30. I have always prioritized sleep for myself and for my kids & I really believe that their wonderful behavior and healthy immune systems are supported by their early bedtime.
I am going to work on establishing a meditation practice though because my whole day could feel a lot better once I get my Vata to calm itself down.
@Avigayil I just read in the German Woman’s health that sport helps people with migraines. Scientists tested a group and found out that they didn’t have as many migraines when they did some running on a regular basis.
I think I sleep better when I drink a lot. But I am still figuring it out.
Water water water and more water! If I got enough the day before (straight up, in herbal tea, or with a splash of lemon) I almost always wake up feeling fairly great. Cutting out dairy also helped me enorrmously! Sleeping with the humidifer on and keeping to a schedule where I power down at the tail of the evening (no electric gadgets with glowing screens) I notice a dramatic improvement.
That said even if I do all of the above faithfully I’m still thrown for a loop when I wake up next to my guy. My alarm is earlier than his and he just lays there snoring away looking so warm and cuddly and wonderful and I get SUPER jealous and can barely drag myself from the bed! So. Unfair. Hmph.
@Sarah – It never is fair when you have to wake up earlier than your bed partner! Especially when they roll over and reach for you while you’re turning off your own alarm….
I’ve been struggling a lot lately with feeling tired all the time, so I’ve been trying to identify what affects my quality of sleep. For me, waking up feeling great involves at least 9 hours of sleep (that means an early bedtime, which is not always possible, but I’ve gotten better), and being exposed to daylight when I wake up, which unfortunately doesn’t happen on work days in the winter :( Having sex before bed helps a lot, too!
I’ve greatly cut down on caffeine (switched from 2-3 cups of coffee a day to green tea) and that has helped, and I’m experimenting with reducing dairy.
I’ve been having trouble sleeping more lately, due to stress. But the best possible thing I can do to feel good in the morning is to go to bed early, so I’m not pressuring myself to fall asleep and it happens naturally. Outdoor exercise (hiking, yard work, whatever) tires me out and helps for a good night’s sleep too. Good for you, Siobhan, for getting us all to think about our lifestyles and how to feel our best!
This is so perfectly timed as I am working on exactly this problem starting this week. Basically I snooze my alarm for 30 mins and then take another 30 mins to get out of bed, wasting 1 hour and then rushing to work without breakfast! Plus i feel unrested, fatigued and just annoyed.
I have thought about following action items for the weekdays (weekend I like to enjoy a little).
1) Switch of TV atleast 1 hr before the bed time and I start soft music (Jazz, Hymns, instruments – depends on my mood).
2) If I am working on laptop, wrap it up 30 mins before the bed.
3) Wash my face with warm water, light a nice candle in bedroom and put on my meditation cd. To be honest I don’t meditate. But I just leave the CD on and I don’t realize when I am asleep.
Granted it is difficult for me switch of my laptop – but I try to spend atleast 30 mins before bed cleaning up and tidying up my place, listening to music and just basically unwinding. The brainless work is very relaxing. Yes, no phone as well. Infact I was told not to even read before going to bed.
Now it has only been 4 days so I am not great at keeping up (e.g. sitll on my laptop) but no TV, soft music and tidying up my apartment is a good start.
Other things that I occasionally like is drinking warm milk with honey – I get my calcium and ayurveda says its supposed to calm you. I just like the taste :P.
Good exercise, food and stress is important but I hope keeping up with simple rules will help.
Thanks for all the comments re: my sleep issues, going to look into some of the ideas.
@Avigayil – same here! For the heat issue something you may want to try is eating more warm soups and stews, it’s the perfect time for it anyways being winter. I have similar over heating issues and am 25 too. I just recently saw some Chinese doctors who told me that that’s a symptom of many things, and that many
Things can make it worse for your body, do you tend to drink a lot of cold liquids or eat cold foods like ice cream or other things? The chinese doctors said that in their practice they believe that when u experience this over heating already that having anything colder than room temperature (which if your like me, you tend to crave and eat more of because your always soooo hot and over heating!) is the opposite of what’s good for you or solving it as the body has to warm itself and work that much harder just to digest them, therefor even if it helps temporary, it won’t help in the long run. There’s a full list of things to eat and avoid. I was shocked my healthy things like salad was on the avoid list as raw and cold takes more to digest than cooked and steamed veggies. It’s called the spleen diet I believe? Worth looking into. What do you usually have last in the day meal or drink wise? Try warm tea maybe for awhile just to see if it helps? Also try omega 3s in high amounts to help counteract the stress and inflammation your body may be experiencing. Calcium&magnesium&potassium combo pill helps at bed too, ESP magnesium for sleeping better. Those have helped me and I use to avoid all warm things as was always too hot. I am still working on being persistent in the advice I got though for over heating and my insomnia as well, one of them being avoiding my iPhone and laptop at nights at all, at least a couple hours before bed is recommended as the blue light these give out kill your own melatonin levels making it harder to get restful good deep REM sleeps. Anyways Goodluck!!