Five tips to wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

How to wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

Waking up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated seems to get harder with the demands of life and age. If you’re missing the deep sleeps of your younger years and feeling the effects, these tips may help you.

Five tips to wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated

1/ Address your medical issues

There are a number of medical issues that can contribute to or cause sleep disorders especially as you age. Consult your doctor about the potential causes and what you can do to address the underlying issues as well as medical solutions that can provide immediate relief and long term benefits. It may take some trial and error if medications and/or devices are necessary but it’s worth the effort to get it right given how essential sleep is to health and wellbeing. Don’t be put off by consumer reviews or risks without talking with your doctor.

2/ Develop healthy nightly rituals

Sleep experts advise shutting down phones, tablets and computers long before your bedtime to help calm your mind and prepare yourself for sleep. Developing enjoyable bedtime routines can help fill the time with health affirming habits. Self-care practices that relief the stress of the day whether it be a bath, self massage, journaling, reading or sex are more relaxing than endless scrolling, surfing or watching a screen and more beneficial for your health and wellbeing.

3/ Invest in cooling technology 

Longevity experts recommend sleeping in a cool room and lighter bedding to put healthy stress on your body. Bedding with cooling technology can make it more comfortable to sleep cool especially if your mattress traps body heat. Unfortunately, bedding is one of those things that takes some trial and error to get right. The mistakes can be costly so start slow with one or two changes and keep going until you get it right. 

Some models of toppers and mattresses have cooling technology built in. Toppers are a great way to experiment with the technology and firmness especially if you’re changing your sleeping position. If it’s time for a mattress update and/or in the budget now, a new mattress with cooling technology can make a big different in your quality of sleep.

4/ Sleep with a neutral spine

An article by Cleveland Clinic noted the importance of sleeping with a neutral spine. A neutral spine means the natural curvatures of your thoracic and lumbar spine are maintained. In Pilates, we work in a neutral spine to strengthen the core for optimum movement in sport and life. During sleep, a neutral spine gives your body the best opportunity to rest and rejuvenate. 

If you’re a stomach sleeper, the sooner your make the switch to your back the better off you’ll be. Knee and body pillows can help side sleepers maintain a neutral spine but it’s not ideal especially if you experience shoulder and hip pain.

5/ Pay attention to the alignment of your extremities

Ideally, your feet should be pointing up when you sleep and your hands and wrists should also be in a neutral position to prevent injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Try the yoga pose Shavasana also known as corpse pose, to help with alignment as you drift off to sleep.