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Life doesn’t always allow the luxury of a full night’s sleep. Still, one sleepless night need not make the next day a groggy hell. Try these strategies for surviving:

Step outside in your pj’s. A good splash of sunlight first thing in the morning will reinforce your biological clock’s natural tendency to wake you up. (You’ll need about 15 minutes’ worth of exposure, so if your nightie is revealing, try this in your backyard.)

Skip the latte. Regular drip coffee has more caffeine than drinks made with espresso (cappuccino, latte)—138 mg. in a 6-ounce cup of coffee versus 89 mg. in a shot of espresso.

Take a siesta. A short nap of 20 minutes or less will perk you up for an hour or two. Some people say the brief rest makes their fatigue seem worse, but studies show that even if you feel groggy, your performance will be improved.

Try a one-two punch. Caffeine plus a nap, that is. Caffeine takes about 20 minutes to kick in, and at least one study from England suggests that a good way to combat sleepiness is to drink coffee, then immediately catch a quick nap. Just as you’re awakening, your body will feel the caffeine’s effects, erasing any post-sleep sluggishness.

Steer clear off food saboteurs. Some edibles are high in the sleep-inducing amino acid tryp-tophan. After a sleepless night, avoid avocados, bananas, cheese, dates, eggplant, fish, turkey, walnuts and yogurt. Also bypass greasy foods, because they stimulate the digestive system and counteract the invigorating effects of adrenaline.

Drag yourself to the gym. Exercise increases body temperature and generally stimulates you— your blood pumps, you inhale more oxygen, your levels of feel-good brain chemicals rise. These effects are thought to interfere with sleep, which is exactly what you’re after, so try to schedule a workout around the time of the normal afternoon energy dip (usually two to three o’clock).

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This entry was posted on Friday, April 6th, 2007 at 4:17 pm and is filed under Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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