Sleepiness is an annoying problem for many people in any situation. Extreme lethargy and an inability to focus can make each activity take longer to complete and difficult to enjoy. Instead of constantly feeling drowsy throughout the day, take action to increase your concentration and refresh your mind.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Making Lifestyle Changes
Step 1. Drink more water
As a classic remedy for most ailments, drinking water regularly throughout the day will leave you feeling refreshed in no time. Often the feeling of tiredness and lethargy is caused by nothing but ordinary dehydration. Drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up in the morning to kick-start your metabolism, and continue to drink several glasses throughout the day.
Step 2. Breakfast
Waking up limply in the morning after the alarm goes off for the fifth time makes you start off your breakfast sloppily that morning. This will keep your metabolism sluggish, making you start things off slowly throughout the day. Force yourself to wake up a little earlier if necessary, and make time to eat a full breakfast. The nutrients from the breakfast will provide energy for you throughout the day, so you don't have to press the snooze button on your alarm again.
Step 3. Eat frequently
As with bouts of dehydration, fatigue can be a signal from your body telling you that your body is hungry and needs energy in the form of food. Instead of following the social rule of eating three large meals a day, try to eat 5-7 smaller meals throughout the day. This will keep your blood sugar levels down, and provide more of the vitamins and nutrients your body needs to stay focused.
Step 4. Exercise more often
Walking and moving may seem more difficult when afternoon drowsiness hits you, but adding physical activity to your routine will keep you from getting tired easily. Exercise for at least ten minutes a day, even if all you do is brisk walking outdoors. Increasing blood circulation and breathing fresh air will keep you energized and refreshed in no time.
Step 5. Bask in the sun
There is one reason why you are slower in winter; Sun exposure provides your body with plenty of vitamin D, which gives you an energy boost. If you're lucky enough to have good weather, head outside to get away from your hectic indoor work. Do two benefits at once, and exercise outdoors too!
Step 6. Manage your caffeine intake
You are suffering from drowsiness, and your first instinct is to drink another cup of coffee. But wait! As it turns out, drinking more than 2-3 cups of coffee a day won't boost your energy back, and doing so after 12 or 1 p.m. will make your night's sleep worse later in the day. Therefore, limit your caffeine intake to no more than three cups per day, so you can get an energy boost without the nasty side effects. Try to do it before lunch, and you will feel grateful the next day.
Step 7. Set your sleep cycle
So last night you went to a big concert, stayed up until the early hours of the morning, and then you slept in until noon. Then you have to go to bed early the next night to prepare for the 7am meeting at the office. With such an irregular sleep schedule, it's no wonder you get tired! Try to go to bed at the same time every night, and wake up at the same time every morning. This will help your body to have a clear time to sleep, and reduce daytime sleepiness.
Method 2 of 2: Making Drastic Changes to Reduce Sleepiness
Step 1. Listen to music
Music has a great influence on mood and thoughts; Besides being able to change your emotional state, music can also increase your energy. One study showed that people who listen to music, regardless of volume or tempo, become more energized than people who don't listen. So grab your iPod or tune in to your favorite radio station and tune in to some tunes!
Step 2. Try doing some breathing exercises
Our breathing patterns can change according to our emotional and mental state, even when we are not aware of it. If you are stressed and tired, you will usually breathe with "chest" breathing which cannot provide enough oxygen to the brain.
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Try to inhale slowly, imagining that you are filling your stomach with air like a balloon, and then exhale slowly. Doing this for a minute or so will help revive your brain and clear the fog in your mind.
Step 3. Eat foods that contain Omega-3
Among other foods, omega-3s are known to be beneficial for keeping you awake. If you're considering a menu for lunch or dinner, serve a little salmon on your plate and consume all those amazing omega-3 fatty acids. If you don't like to eat fish that often, replace it with fish oil pills for daily consumption.
Step 4. Try water therapy
Throwing a bucket of cold water at a sleeping friend isn't just a big joke, but it actually helps wake him up. If you can't seem to do anything to get rid of your drowsiness, flush your face with cold water or take a cold shower. The cold temperature and the way you feel about the water will improve circulation and make you concentrate a little better than before.
Step 5. Eat fibrous foods
Fiber, unlike most of the foods we eat, takes a very long time to be fully digested. Therefore, eat foods rich in fiber so that the fiber will slowly release energy into your body throughout the day. Try eating an apple with its skin on, some black beans, or bran cereal and let your tiredness go away.
Step 6. Get some sleep
Long naps during the day can disrupt your sleep at night, but short naps can be just what your body needs to freshen up. True recovery can be achieved by taking a 20-minute nap. This is sufficient time for your body to sleep and release the fatigue-causing stress that is weighing on your mind.
Step 7. Take magnesium supplements
Your drowsiness can actually be caused by a lack of vitamins and minerals. If you are not consuming enough magnesium in your diet, try taking a magnesium supplement. This supplement is available in health food stores and can be taken daily.
Step 8. Deal with your stress
If your desk is a mess, you're arguing with friends, or you have a lot of work to do, all of these can stress you out and make you more tired than usual. Address the causes of stress you know, whenever you can. Whenever anxiety triggers arise, take control of them to improve your overall mental health, as well as keep you focused throughout the day.
Step 9. Change the atmosphere around you
Studying or working in bed or on a comfortable sofa tends to make you tired easily. Instead of tire yourself out easily by being in a place that is too comfortable, move to a place that tends to make it difficult for you to fall asleep. Working in a coffee shop or at a hard desk will make it harder for you to want to sleep than a pile of comfy blankets and pillows.
Tips
- Think about things that will make you very happy, excited or even scared. Feeling angry can also help. Doing this will help you stay awake.
- Try doing things that can improve the quality of your sleep, and as a result you will feel more awake throughout the day.
- Go to bed early. If you're having trouble falling asleep, listen to the Relax Melodies app on your phone.
- See your doctor for a physical exam or a sleep quality lab to see if your frequent lethargy is due to a medical problem.
