We have enough ways to screw up a day between work and an after-hours night on the town. According to experts, though, some of us sabotage our day before even getting out the door in the morning. Some even derail their day before getting out of bed.
Here are six major mistakes many of us make in the morning, from waking up to getting out the door, and how to avoid them.
The “early alarm” trick
It’s a game most of us play with ourselves every day: Instead of setting the alarm for the time you need to get up, you set it a few minutes early so you take your time getting out of bed. Bad move, according to the experts. This “trick” messes with your body’s internal clock and makes it harder for you to fall asleep at night. Instead, sleep doctors say, set your alarm for when you need to be up and ditch the leisurely wake-up.
Of course, the “early alarm” trick is just half the problem when it comes to reveille. The other is…
The dreaded snooze button
Sleep experts have been against this addition to alarm clocks almost since their inception. Sure, that extra nine minutes feels good at the time, but does it? Not only do you get the dreaded sense of “it’s almost time to wake up,” but experts say it disrupts your sleep cycles, making it harder to wake when your alarm goes off and makes you feel sleepier than if you had woken to a single alarm.
Some alarm clock manufacturers have taken note and started making clocks without the snooze feature.
Checking your email on your phone before getting out of bed
A University of British Columbia study has found that people who check their email more than a few times a day have higher stress levels. Those to check it before their feet hit the floor are even more stressed.
Experts suggest spending a little “me time” before delving into emails and work. Also, if your smartphone is at your bedside throughout the night, chances are its screen has been periodically lit up, which messes with the quality of your sleep. Keep it in another room, experts say.
Hitting the ground running
While you should get up right away, you shouldn’t adopt a gung-ho attitude and hit the floor at full speed, according to the experts. Keep in mind that, especially regarding your back muscles, you’ve been at rest for eight hours. Move too fast or do too much too quickly and you run the risk of spasms. Also, you may be a little light-headed, meaning slipping into fifth gear right away may lead to stumbles.
Instead, take the time to give a classic yawn and stretch before toddling off to the shower, doctors say.
Keeping it dark
Dark-out curtains and a darkened room are great for sleep, but once you get up you should open the curtains, doctors suggest. Sunlight not only resets your internal clock but brightens your mood, too. It also increases cortisol levels, which help regulate weight.
Skipping breakfast
You’ve heard it all your life: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Turns out, there’s something to that old advertising cliché. Skipping breakfast, it has been shown, only increases your appetite throughout the day and leads to eating more calories. A healthy, balanced breakfast will get you off to a better start than not eating at all.
But, doctors warn, you should avoid a carb-heavy breakfast.
Carbohydrates will give you an immediate energy boost, but it’s short-lived. Once you’ve exhausted that energy, you’re more likely to feel sleepy and hungry well before lunch.
The experts’ advice: Choose one food that’s either a protein, complex carbohydrate, or fruit and eat it as you leave the house. Then, at around 10 a.m., complete your breakfast with a snack of the two food groups you’re missing.
