Do You Wake up Refreshed? What's Your Secret?

Sleep is a huge priority for me, without it I'm a bear. What has helped me more than anything is a nighttime routine, much like the one I put my children through. A bath, reading and lights out about 9:30. As I get older, I am trying to take better care of myself. I don't want to go into my old age with health issues....

No caffeine after noon.
Take my iron and vit D supplements as directed by my Dr.

When I do those things, I feel pretty good. If I neglect any of them, I really drag, not just in the morning, but all day.

ETA: I should be clear that I'm not a morning person and never have been. So I don't leap out of bed happy in the morning. But there is a difference between wanting to get up slowly (which is always for me) and having the alarm go off and feeling like a zombie that requires caffeine to think straight (which is me when I don't take care of myself).

I do and it is simple. I get enough sleep.

If I get enough sleep, I usually feel refreshed. But I don't usually get enough sleep.

If you are routinely shorting yourself, that is the problem. But since you were 12?? I would look at your mattress. How old is it? Is it worn out? And is it the right mattress FOR YOU? Some people rest better on firmer mattresses than others. Maybe you need a different type.

Also, turn any digital stuff away from your bed. I have one of those big digital clocks on my nightstand. I turn it AWAY from the bed, facing the wall. The glow isn't in my face that way. Even if my eyes are closed, I think it can affect how well you sleep when there is lighting in the room like that.
Also, yes, limit caffeine after lunch.
If you can, lower the temperature in your room a little bit extra during sleeping hours. I sleep much better when the room is chilly and I can snuggle under covers. If it's too warm I don't rest well at all. Around 72* is really comfortable to me.

Refreshed? Hardly ever :-( but a few things help me sleep better:
-a really GOOD mattress, and good quality pillows and bedding
-white noise, for me it's a fan on low speed
-taking a hot bath with scented oil/bubbles close to bed time
-being physically active during the day, the harder my body works the better I sleep
-reading, either a real book or my kindle, no internet, TV, email, etc, just pleasure reading
Good luck!

I go to bed about 8 hours before I need to wake up.
Works a lot of the time - except if I've got a cold and snore a lot.
If I'm snoring, I'm not getting a good quality of sleep - so I wake up tired and with a sore throat.

A daily routine. A set bedtime no matter what to get at least 7 to 8 hours a night. I take vitamins as I was deficient in Vitamin D. Think positive thoughts and do what you can. Think of the Serenity prayer of accepting what is and change what you can.

I work 40 hours or so a week, cook and clean, take care of my husband (caregiver), attempt to sew for a business I am trying to launch, and wrangle the pet (new kitten). Hubby has health issues which sidelined him before he was ready to retire.

Good luck to you.

the other S.

I never felt truly refreshed like I did when younger until I started doing a few things.. One, left my brokerage job, which ALWAYS left me burnt out, the stress caused me to not only feel anxiety, but I was also depressed. Which, until I left, I didn't realize how down in the dumps I was. I just always attributed feeling low to work.. That said, apart from the job aspect, I began to chart my daily activities. I started with my nutrition. Prior to eating more greens/smoothies, I always felt brain fog and fatigue. There was a period in my life that no matter how much I slept, I wanted more. However, when I slowly began adding green drinks into my diet (during that time) I started to feel the fog lift. Additionally, the aches and pains my body always felt started to diminish. So nutrition is definitely key.. Also, I now do raw ginger juice, you want energy and IF you can stomach the pungent taste, that stuff will give you a punch of energy, I love it. Additionally, I started to take Krill Oil., this also seem to clear my mind. Lastly, I had to clear out a ton of old emotional garbage that was dragging me down and making me tired..... (I come from a family of many alcoholics and people with anger issues) for me, I entered Alanon, and it's through that program, a 12 step, I started to feel the burden of my past lift and hence, I had more energy. sounds weird, but it's so true. Lastly, exercise is vital. I walk a lot, by that I mean, at minimum probably 15 miles a week. doesn't sound like much, but it helps clear my mind and give me energy.
Start small.. one thing, you have to get rid of those naps, as good as they feel :) as long as you take them, you won't get to sleep at night..
try to get through a day without one.. secondly, I ALWAYS have a small cup of STRONG camomile tea before bed.. it helps a lot.. additionally, I dim all the lights... and lastly, I sleep with a wave machine on...it drowns out noise.. I love it... oh and rather than going to bed at around 9ish, I finally upped my time to 10:30 or 11... it was hard getting to that point as I have always gone to bed earlier, but now that I do, what a HUGE difference in that I tend to sleep through the night..
again, start slow... go today without a nap.......or tomorrow since you already took one on the train.. tonight, dim lights, have some tea..... next day.... see how you feel... then begin doing a green drink so that you can repair body aches and pains.... then if you feel even better... start on some good Krill (I use dr, Mercola's) .... take it one step at a time...
good luck... keep us posted..
oh and I also do a small mediation of 5 to 10 min each morning.. it's anything from prayer to simply giving thanks for another day to feel better, be better and do better... something about starting my day with gratitude helps me focus on the good things in life.. at least most of the time..

Aside from getting more regular sleep (no late nights on weekends, as Suzanne suggested) get a physical to determine if you have any underlying medical conditions, like a bad thyroid or even just dehydration. My husband starts his day with a glass of water. It doesn't help that many times an early train means an early day, and then you're sitting quietly while the train rocks....it's easy to nod off. You can also consider your diet so that you're not inviting a crash late in the day. Our office keeps fruit in the fridge for everyone and I try to reach for an apple instead of a bag of chips when I'm feeling snackish in the afternoon. We also changed our mattress because my DH wasn't sleeping well (had backaches) and it seems to have helped us both. I'm still hoping that I'll be refreshed more often, but other than getting more sleep (hard when your kid has nightmares or is sick) those are things I try.

Have your bloodwork done. If you are anemic or some other things, it can affect your energy level.

Also make sure you get at least 8 hours of sleep. And no caffeine (including chocolate) after 3pm. And there are a few things that are supposed to help you sleep at night...like a cookie and milk before bed or I think a glass of wine? Not sure, I'm not a fan of either of those but I think there are some things that will "naturally" help.

For my kids being on the same schedule really helps them. We do practically the same things at the same time every day so I think that helps as well. Good luck.

I recently started on bio-identical hormone replacement therapy - I have pellet insertion. It has changed my world! I feel in my 30's (I am 40 blah blah closer to 50 than 40) and it has only been a month. I also found out that although I take vitamins, I was very deficient in Vitamin D, so I just started adding that as well. I am excited to see the difference for that, too, once it kicks in. I regularly get less than 8 hrs of sleep (but no less than 6) and now I am awake each morning before the alarm goes off (by like 5 minutes) ready to start my day. I do cram a lot into my day with 10+ hrs of work a day, cooking for 6 - 8 people a night, cleaning, mom's weekend at the college, helping 2 kids enlist, and having 2 special needs kids, exercising, running, laundry, chasing around a 2 yr old grandbaby, etc., etc. Before the pellets, I thought I was dying I was so exhausted each day . . .

I would have your hormone levels checked - based on how old your kids are, you are likely creeping into my age territory?

JB,

Diet is important to your sleep as is the mattress you sleep on. There are so many factors that determine your sleep.

Stress - if you are stressed - which your life has been a tad bit stressed lately!! will affect your REM sleep.

If you have a crappy mattress? you will not get "good" sleep.

Drinking too much - be it alcohol or caffeine - will affect your sleep as well.
Eating - if you eat BEFORE you sleep?? That can affect your sleep as well - when my youngest was sleep tested? We were told no food 3 hours prior to sleep.

I would suggest that you talk with your doctor about having a sleep study done. You might have apnea or you might have something else. I don't know.

Since you said your life is packed - I would also strongly suggest trying Yoga prior to bed - to help relax your body and your mind....journal your thoughts and make your list so you don't spend an hour TRYING to get to sleep.

I would also suggest that you get things done in the evening before so you aren't running around like a chicken with your head cut off in the morning. Make lunches, set clothes out, etc.

First and foremost - get a sleep test done. That way you can see if there are any health problems....then consider a new mattress. if yours is over 5 years old and lumpy? you deserve a new mattress.

I have resigned myself to only waking refreshed on weekends and holidays until I retire.

I almost never wake up refreshed...I have back pain that sometimes bothers me at night. Not to mention I have to pee multiple times a night and am a very light sleeper. But if I have one of those rare nights where I go to bed at 8pm due to exhaustion and happen to sleep pretty well then yes, I do wake up feeling pretty good. Who has time to go to bed that early every day though? Plus I like to hang out with my husband in the evening! So sadly, for me (and probably most people) the key is to simply get much much more sleep.

I treasure my morning sleep. I wake up as late as my schedule allows. I then am very quick about getting myself anf the kids out the door ready. It helps.

i can read the paper, drink my coffee and embrace the day during my commute.

I'm like you. I rarely wake refreshed. I don't drink caffeine, I get about 8 hours of sleep (sometimes more), I eat well, and have a great mattress. I just think it's a "mom" thing really... Stress, not enough hours in the day, crazy schedules, etc. Also, I know you're going through a divorce. Hang in there!

JB, I want to say thanks for posting this. I, too, never feel really rested when I wake. The responses have convinced me to look deeper and get a physical (it's time anyway).

I wanted to add: Is it possible you're a light sleeper and may not even realize it? You might get enough hours or avoid caffeine or have the right mattress, but the quality of the sleep you get while you ARE sleeping might be poor. I think that's the case with me; I am and always have been a very light sleeper, easily wakened even if there's no specific stimulus (noise outside, whatever) to awaken me. I will be the first one to hear if ever someone burgles the house, I guess, but the result is that I tend to wake every single night at some point, often more than once, and the closer it is to getting-up time, the less chance there is that I can fall back into real sleep as opposed to a doze....So I'd add to the great advice below: Think about whether, when you are sleeping, you tend to wake, even a little. And tell the doctor about it when you get that physical -- I sure will do the same.

JB, if you find some ideas and answers that work for you, please update us here!

I would tell your doctor and get a sleep study done.

I have a medical condition and anemia, so I wake feeling pretty crappy some days. When I feel better is when I've read to sleep, and gone to bed early.

You might want to get your bloodwork done, but if it's 30 years you might just not be a morning person. One of my kids wakes like a bear. He has to eat a big breakfast and shower before he's even able to speak to us. He's medically fine.

Depression can do it too. Stress.

I have to kick start the day with coffee otherwise I just drag. But then I crash, so it's a compromise. I have to have caffeine in moderation only.

I have been VERY tired lately. I already take a large dose of vitamin D, a small dose of iron, a multi-vitamin, and B-12 daily. But I had gastric bypass fall 2012 and I need extra stuff. I just had my blood taken yesterday and it's almost like waiting for Christmas to see what I'm low on. I know it's something and once I figure out what, I can counteract it.

I highly recommend you go get a full physical done and figure out what the deal is.

Please ask your doctor to refer you to a sleep study. You may have sleep apnea, which affects your quality of sleep.

When my toddler doesn't wake me, nor hubby, I tend to wake refreshed. I go to bed 8.5- 9 hours before I need to wake. This gives me 30 minutes to read and then a slow wake up time go meditate. I don't always do this, and I'm normally dragging, but when I go to bed extra early, I feel like a million bucks.

It's just too bad that I start to feel so good I decide to stay up! Then I get myself on a bad cycle.