While it’s lovely to linger in bed on a Sunday morning, most days we can’t afford to waste away the first moments of the day and need energy from the get go in order to get things done. Whether it is getting the kids ready for school, getting ourselves up and out to the office or making that first appointment of the day on time.
Here are things I often hear from new clients:
“I would love to wake up in the morning and be ready to jump out of bed”
“I pretty much depend on my cup of coffee to get me started in the morning”
“It takes quite a while for the fog to lift after I get up”
It’s clear that high levels of energy, positivity and drive starting from the early hours of the day are top of the list among people’s health goals.
And for good reasons: who wouldn’t want deep and restful sleep followed by a high-powered day of pursuing our dreams and living our most optimal lives? Waking up with brain fog, lethargy, and the resulting negativity doesn’t quite fit into that picture.
So what does it take to wake up feeling energized and ready for the day?
It’s possible that the solution is as simple as going to bed on time (rather than watching “just one more” episode of that nail-biting TV serial or getting caught up in the social media rabbit hole) but often there is a need to address some other factors to achieve that glorious morning energy boost.
Here are some examples of common issues I see with the clients I work with:
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Poor sleep hygiene
Sleep hygiene is the variety of rituals and habits you follow to set yourself up for optimal sleep. A good example is my client Jenny, who learned to power down with intention and implement a routine that allowed her brain and body to relax at night. She also installed black-out curtains, negotiated a lower bedroom temperature with her husband and disconnected the WIFI modem before going to bed. She started to sleep through the night for the first time in years.
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Blood sugar imbalances
If your blood sugar levels are erratic and take a dip at night, it triggers a stress response, which will wake you up. My client Emily experienced this frequently. She was overweight and her lab tests showed high fasting blood sugar levels, high HgA1C, and high insulin. When Emily started eating a nutrient dense, low glycemic diet that was high in foods that help maintain balanced blood sugar levels, such as healthy fats, fiber and high quality protein, her sleep instantly improved.
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Gut issues
It not only takes a healthy diet but also a healthy gut to efficiently break down and absorb the food you eat. If your digestion is compromised your body may not be able to receive all of the essential nutrients involved in the production of hormones and neurotransmitters that influence your ability to fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up feeling rejuvenated. My clients always notice that they are sleeping more soundly and feeling truly refreshed in the morning after healing their gut.
While these 3 factors undoubtedly play a very important role and can make a huge difference in the way you wake up in the morning, sometimes there is more going on. And that is when it helps to have the right support and guidance to figure out what exactly needs to be done.
If you have tried everything and still drag your feet in the early part of the day, I invite you to a (free) Nutrition Breakthrough Session with me. That way I can try to help you identify some of the underlying contributing factors and draw up an action plan.
Be well.
Read more on how to sleep better here.
