HOW TO WAKE UP WELL

Tips for a good nights sleep

How you wake up determines your whole day. If I have slept through my alarm clock, I’m not the happiest camper. And if my upstairs neighbour decides to vacuum at 11pm, my mood is not the best the next day. Not a week goes by without me wanting to chuck my telephone out the window when the alarm goes off. Especially now that winter is closing in, it is so difficult to get up and under the shower feeling bright and bushy tailed.

Only 1 in 10 of us wake up rearing to go, or as early birds jumping out of bed. Would you like to be? Here are a few tips (that I badly need) to get a perfect night’s rest so that waking is a little easier.

–      Let us start with a simple one. Go to bed on time. Even if your alarm does not go off mega early.

–      It is better not to spend hours in bed with your iPhone or laptop or even watching a movie. All the light and flickering of the screen can badly affect your sleep. Rather read a book or a magazine.

–      Use earplugs so you don’t get woken up during the night by crazy sounds or by “aaah, oh my god, I’m right next to him NOW and don’t know what to say” texts.

–      Waking up in the dark is no fun. Set your Phillips wake up light to go on a half hour before your alarm, so it can get progressively lighter in your room. When your alarm finally does go off you could choose for the good old radio, the good old alarm sound or some bird song. Count on waking up happy.

–       Ventilation (oxygen) is important during sleep. Even during the winter, keep a window ajar. Rather use an extra blanket than closing all the windows.

–       Now the difficult one. Don’t snooze. Are you one of those people (like me) who sets their alarm a little bit earlier so you can snooze 3 or 4 times? Don’t do it. You only get more tired. And cranky. Bite the bullet and just get up. Jump up, open your curtains, put the kettle on, turn the radio up high, jump under the shower and you’ll feel fine. Believe me. Do it.