Is your fatigue hindering your daily performance? It is indeed difficult to start a good day when your batteries are flat in the morning. You expose yourself to a lack of vigilance, concentration, attention and above all you lack motivation . Fighting against this daily setback has become your primary concern but you are struggling to find solutions. Don't panic, we are here to give you some anti-fatigue techniques you need to know to recharge your batteries . Let's start at the beginning, the basics: sleep . Even though you sleep , you still wake up tired ? This reflects poor quality sleep . By slightly changing your habits , it is possible to significantly improve the quality of your sleep.
TIP #1: Good sleep starts with a good diet
Eat light: To sleep better and benefit from restful sleep , it all starts with your diet: no more fatty foods before going to bed. A little fast food and bed? It's no ! Burgers, fries, pizzas, cold meats, cheeses, chips and red meat require a lot of energy and time from our metabolism. Eating it in the evening is a guarantee of night sweats, bloating and restless sleep. Instead, opt for a light, easy-to-digest dinner .
Yes to complex carbohydrates: We recommend that you favor complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides and fiber) such as legumes, sweet potatoes and whole grains such as buckwheat, barley or oatmeal. They increase your level of serotonin , the happiness hormone and promote good sleep.
No to processed carbohydrates: However, we recommend that you avoid processed carbohydrates (muffins, biscuits, white bread, sugary cereals) because they induce a rapid increase in blood sugar followed by a sudden drop. To regulate this sudden drop, the body secretes hormones like adrenaline, glucagon and cortisol which can wake you up in the middle of the night .
Starchy foods in reasonable quantities: Starchy foods are recommended to avoid nighttime cravings , which undeniably involve waking up at night.
Tryptophan: Foods rich in tryptophan , such as nuts, skimmed milk or bananas, are very interesting to consume before going to sleep. This amino acid is in fact essential for the synthesis of serotonin ( happiness hormone ) which calms and promotes sleep and for melatonin ( sleep hormone ) which helps control the sleep and wake cycle.
No sushi: If it's sushi tonight, it's going to cause you sushi, uh, problems. Indeed , Japanese cuisine is rich in glutamate , a flavor enhancer. It is an amino acid that boosts your metabolism and gives you a boost of energy. The opposite of what you need before throwing yourself into the arms of Morpheus.
No spicy dishes so as not to get up at night: Eating spicy ? Save spicy dishes for lunch. Chilli, pepper, curry, ginger and cumin brighten up your plates both in flavors and colors. Not only are they difficult to digest, but they also make you feel hot and even cause heartburn. Nothing heralds a good night !
Good timing: The ideal is to have dinner at least 2 hours before going to bed. The general idea is to avoid too intense nighttime digestion . In fact, the latter raises the body temperature, which is detrimental to good sleep , which requires a relatively low internal temperature. If you cannot go to bed less than two hours after eating dinner, you can try to lower your temperature before going to bed by taking a lukewarm shower before going to bed, for example.
No meal you will skip: Be careful, eating light does not mean eating nothing at all. Above all, do not skip meals because this will disrupt your body and its cycles and you will expose yourself to nighttime cravings.
No-alcohol: One small drink and you sink? If we tend to think that we sleep better with alcohol, this is actually completely false. The “knocking out” effect of alcohol is just an illusion. Certainly, its relaxing effect helps you fall asleep , but it considerably disrupts your sleep cycles without achieving deep sleep : frequent awakenings, restless dreams, night sweats, thirst, etc.
No stimulants: Taking stimulants such as nicotine, tea, coffee, chocolate, caffeinated soft drinks and sodas loaded with sugar should be avoided from 3 p.m. to free you from their negative impacts on sleep. Surprising information to say the least: eggplant contains nicotine , like in tobacco. It contains less than 1 microgram compared to 1 milligram in tobacco. You will therefore need 10 kg of eggplants to achieve the nicotine equivalent of one cigarette. Although it is not a problem to consume it in the evening, avoid eggplant caviar, which is more concentrated and very fatty: the peaceful anti-night combo.
Herbal teas, these false friends: We draw your attention to herbal teas . Certainly recognized for their soothing properties , their diuretic properties will have the opposite effect and risk ruining your night with a strong urge to urinate. It is therefore not recommended to drink it just before bedtime.
TIP No. 2: You need to prepare for a good night
Regularity: After a hard week of work you only want one thing: to sleep in on the weekend to recover. Bad idea! You will get the opposite effect. Your body has its little habits and it is better not to upset everything at the risk of disrupting your sleep. The ideal is to maintain regular waking up and going to bed times , both during the week and on weekends. To best regulate your biological clock, expose yourself to daylight as soon as you wake up, by opening the windows wide and taking a deep breath of fresh air. Plus, the cool will decongest your eyes !
Listening: Also learn to listen to your body and your needs: when sleep comes, you yawn, your eyelids are heavy, don't resist , otherwise you will miss the good night train without knowing when the next one will arrive. station.
Physical activity: By activating your body during the day you make your body understand that it must be awake when it is daytime. Regular physical activity is therefore beneficial to the proper functioning of your biological clock . It is recommended not to exercise 3 to 4 hours before bedtime so that the body enters a calm phase.
Return to calm: Set up a transition time between the activities of the day and those of the evening to clearly mark the transition to a different rhythm. At the end of your day, choose a calm activity : manual activity, reading, relaxation, soft music, etc. The idea being to make your body understand that you are on the way to a good night's sleep but that you are not You haven't arrived yet.
A dedicated space: Your bedroom must be conducive to sleep. The temperature should not be too high , between 18 and 20°C because the body must have a reasonable internal temperature to correctly carry out its sleep cycles. Darkness is also important because in the presence of light, melatonin secretion is delayed. Finally, silence is the key to a good night's sleep.
Bye-Bye screens: Blue light is the number one enemy of good restorative sleep. It prevents the secretion of melatonin , the hormone responsible for falling asleep. So we avoid screens 1 to 2 hours before going to sleep. We know it's hard, but there's nothing better than returning to the traditional detective novel. Try it once and enjoy how much less tired you wake up!
TIP No. 3: Nature at the service of your sleep
Even after following our valuable advice, have you encountered difficulty falling asleep ? Did you know that it is not necessarily necessary to turn to medicinal solutions? These in fact have side effects and can create dependence or even addiction.From the Latin somnifer (“sleep”) and fero (“to carry”), the sleeping pill is defined as something that “brings sleep”. By extension, it is similar to a chemical medication when in fact, there are natural solutions that are just as effective, such as plants .
So don't think first of hypnotics and anxiolytics but rather of sleep herbal medicine . Whether in the form of herbal teas (/!\ diuretic effects) or food supplements , they are invaluable in helping you fall asleep and experience a most restorative night .
Chamomile: A little chamomile ? You have probably already heard this question and it is because chamomile already has its reputation as a sleeping pill. Its calming and soothing properties are conducive to good sleep and a peaceful night .
The lime tree: This is another star that you surely have in your cupboard. Linden soothes and sedates to put an end to restless nights .
Verbena : Famous for its anti-stress effects, verbena is essential for getting good sleep .
Lemon balm: Lemon balm is less well known, yet it is very effective in helping you fall asleep, reducing stress and facilitating digestion, in complete safety.
Orange blossom : Orange blossom is not just used to flavor pancakes! It promotes falling asleep and sleeping thanks to its sedative and anxiolytic effects. Combined with hops or lemon balm, its virtues will be reinforced.
Valerian: Valerian is ideal for very nervous or agitated people. Its calming effects make it a mild sedative capable of promoting sleep , especially when insomnia is linked to anxiety. It acts in particular on light sleep phases.
Passionflower: Thanks to its relaxing actions on the central nervous system, passionflower calms nervous agitation, irritability and states of stress . During exams, heavy workload or any other stressful periods of life, it is recommended to resolve sleep disorders.
California poppy : Although the California poppy may be more difficult to find, it is nevertheless a remedy of choice in cases of sleep disorders to soothe the body and mind before going to sleep. Perfect for falling asleep faster and extending sleep duration.
Hops : Hop flowers have sedative properties to treat anxiety and associated sleep disorders.
Finally, apart from plants, melatonin remains the molecule of choice to reduce the time it takes to fall asleep or better cope with jet lag .
To be in good shape , you need to sleep better. And to improve falling asleep and the quality of your sleep, there is nothing better than adapting your diet and lifestyle habits to make it easier for your body. Harmony of body and mind is the key to a successful night!