Here’s how to tell if you’re sleep-deprived in 5 seconds:

10 Wednesday Apr 2019

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Look around. Does it seem like everyone’s having a bad day, blowing you off, or uninterested in you? Then you’re probably under-slept.

UC Berkeley scientists had healthy people react to facial expressions after 24-hours without sleep. And they had trouble telling the difference between a smile, a smirk or a scowl. But after a restful night, the same people had no trouble telling the difference.

Bottom line: If everyone else seems crabbier, YOU need more sleep.

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Are you feeling “sweepy?”

26 Tuesday Mar 2019

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That’s when you’re sleepy and weepy, and get overly emotional. And there’s a reason for it. Because when we’re sleep-deprived, activity increases in the brain area that produces emotion. Plus, when we’re tired, our ability to control our emotions is weaker.

So if you cry at commercials when you’re tired – or burst into tears when someone gives you side-eye, that’s why. You’re sweepy.

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If you feel groggy halfway through the day, don’t guzzle more coffee.

30 Wednesday Jan 2019

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Pop vitamin D instead. According to the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, low levels of “D” are linked to daytime sleepiness. Here’s why: Vitamin D helps keep bones and muscles healthy – so too little can cause weak muscles, and sore joints that could keep you up at night. Also, low vitamin D levels are linked to inflammation – which directly causes sleepiness. So start popping up to a‑thousand International Units of vitamin D daily. Especially if you suffer from milk allergies, or are a vegetarian or vegan, and are getting less “D” than average.

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To feel more energized in the morning:

25 Friday Jan 2019

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Go to bed wearing earplugs! A joint study between British and Swedish researchers found people who feel foggy and slowed up in the morning probably aren’t producing enough cortisol, a natural brain-energizer that wakes us up, and heightens our alertness. But wearing earplugs to bed blocks low levels of overnight noise – like nearby traffic, or barking dogs. And research shows that when the quality of our sleep improves, our brain churns out more cortisol in the morning – giving us more focus and energy.

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If you’re tired you could eat as much as if you were high!

01 Tuesday Jan 2019

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When it comes to your brain, a lack of sleep is tantamount to smoking a bong! It ignites brain receptors called endocannabinoids – as in cannabis. And those receptors give us the munchies! So a lack of sleep makes you more vulnerable to cravings for sugary, high-fat foods – and makes eating them more pleasurable than normal. So make sure you get a good night’s sleep if you don’t want to pig out like a pot-head.

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Why are you so tired?

18 Wednesday Apr 2018

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Take a look at your fingernails. Do you see a bunch of white flecks? If so, you may have a zinc deficiency. As many as half of us are zinc deficient – and zinc is needed to convert food into cellular energy. Zinc also improves your sense of smell and boosts your immune system. So, ask your doctor about popping a zinc supplement – or add these zinc-rich foods to your diet: Oysters, liver, roast beef, pumpkin seeds, lamb, peanuts, and Alaskan King Crab.

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Are you always tired?

02 Monday Apr 2018

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If you feel tired all the time, but still find it hard to fall asleep at night, your cubicle may be to blame. Research at Northwestern University found that workers who didn’t have a window nearby – or a source of natural light – slept 47 fewer minutes a night, on average – compared to those who worked near a window. That’s because exposure to natural light helps synchronize our circadian rhythm, and boosts production of the sleep hormone melatonin at night.

So, what can you do if you work in a windowless office, shopping mall, factory, hospital or casino?

Lead researcher Dr. Phyllis Zee recommends spending at least a half hour a day outdoors – or by a sunny window – so you get the natural light you need to sync your hormonal rhythms with day and night. You’ll feel less daytime sleepiness – and be more ready for sleep at night.

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Avoid these late night delights – unless you didn’t want to sleep.

02 Tuesday Aug 2016

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Here’s a quick list of foods sleep doctors say to avoid before bedtime – otherwise, they’ll keep you wide awake all night:

•First: Obviously anything with caffeine. Like soda, coffee, and chocolate – even coffee and chocolate ice cream. Would you believe a scoop of coffee ice cream has more caffeine than a can of cola or a cup of tea? Also, caffeine can linger in your system for up to 14 hours! And can increase the number of times you wake up at night, and decrease the total amount of sleep you get.

•Another food to avoid at bedtime? French fries – or anything fried and fatty. Research shows that high-fat foods push your digestive system into overdrive. Which can keep you awake.

•Finally, avoid really spicy foods. It’s not because they cause heartburn. It’s because they increase your core body temperature – and we need our body temperature to drop to achieve quality sleep.

What should you do at 2pm every day?

15 Monday Feb 2016

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Nap. Your body’s natural rhythms are telling you to. Your body temperature dips at 2pm every day making you feel sleepy. And a 26 minute nap can make you feel better. Why 26 minutes? A NASA study found that’s exactly how long pilots need to rest to see their performance improve by 34%.

Get 7 hours of sleep each night!

08 Monday Feb 2016

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Sleep-deprived brains don’t even know they’re sleepy. Get this: A study found that when people slept less than 7 hours a night for a week, their cognitive performance nosedived – but it eventually returned to normal after getting at least 3 nights of so-called “recovery sleep.” However, when people got only 4 HOURS of sleep a night, it impaired their brain function…AND stopped them from feeling sleepy! Meaning, they stopped being AWARE that they were sleep-deprived.

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Tag Archives: sleepy

Here’s how to tell if you’re sleep-deprived in 5 seconds:

Are you feeling “sweepy?”

If you feel groggy halfway through the day, don’t guzzle more coffee.

To feel more energized in the morning:

If you’re tired you could eat as much as if you were high!

Why are you so tired?

Are you always tired?

Avoid these late night delights – unless you didn’t want to sleep.

What should you do at 2pm every day?

Get 7 hours of sleep each night!