We all have different mornings. Some meditate or dance to nice tunes while making breakfast, while others engage in a tug-of-war with a 3-year-old over wearing a winter jacket when it's 95°F outside.
Despite these differences, there's a science behind waking up properly and starting the day on the right foot.
Here are 10 things you should never do when you first wake up.
It might feel like the holy savior of sleep, allowing you to get those beautiful "just five more minutes" in the morning, but sleep experts strongly advise resisting the temptation of the snooze button.
Azizi Seixas, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, told Newsbreak that when you hit the snooze button, you get out of deep sleep. By procrastinating about waking up, your brain starts a new sleep cycle, usually light sleep.
This fragmented sleep messes with your natural sleep-wake cycle, causing sleep inertia, which is that groggy feeling that makes you a grouch when you wake up.
While often considered a bad habit and a trait of a slacker, leaving your bed unmade is actually the way to go according to experts, and it might be better for your health.
Scientists suggest that an unmade bed allows the millions of dust mites that share your sheets and thrive in moist environments to dehydrate and die.
We've all done it — heck, I did it this morning. Reaching for your phone to check emails, texts, or social media first thing has become the modern morning routine for many of us. But it's not a good one.
Jay Rai, an empowerment psychologist specializing in the neuroscience of mental health, writes in Forbes that when we first wake up in the morning, our brains switch from delta waves (produced in a deep sleep state) to theta waves (produced in a daydreamy state) and then to alpha waves, which are produced when we are awake but relaxed and not processing much information, and finaly to beta waves (produced in the fully alert state associated with conscious thought and logical thinking).
Checking your phone immediately upon waking forces your brain to skip the theta and alpha stages of wakefulness and jump straight to the beta state, setting yourself up for stress and distraction.
We know, it is magical and essential. But regardless of how homicidal you are before your first cup of joe, refrain from drinking it straight out of bed, on empty stomach.
When you wake up, your cortisol (the stress hormone) levels are at their highest. Drinking coffee right away can further spike these levels, which might reduce the effectiveness of the caffeine and increase stress.
Give your body an hour to wake up and stabilize before enjoying getting your coffeeine kick in the morning.
Getting ready in the dark confuses your body's internal clock, which is sensitive to light. It might get the signal that it is still nighttime, which would make you crankier.
Open the curtains or step outside to expose yourself to natural light or turn on strong light if you wake up while it's still dark outside. So, rise and shine but literally.
Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Even if you're running late, grabbing a quick bite or a banana can make a world of difference. Just as you wouldn't drive your car without fuel, it makes no sense to expect your body to function without adding some nutrients to kick-start your energy levels. Besides, studies show that skipping breakfast can lead to serious health issues like insulin resistance, which is a precursor to Type 2 diabetes.
After hours of sleep, your body is dehydrated, so skipping water in the morning can leave you extremely sluggish. A glass of water on an empty stomach has proven to have amazing benefits for your overall health and aids in weight loss. So, start with a glass of water to wake up your system and rehydrate.
It's understandable — your pillow is so comfortable, your sheets are so warm, and the thought of getting up and facing another round of adulting seems dreadful. But lingering in bed can make it harder to wake up and get moving. Get up promptly to set a productive tone for the day.
We often wake up stiff and sluggish, no matter how well we slept. Morning stretching can help. It increases blood flow to your muscles, enhances flexibility, and reduces the risk of injury. Plus, it's a quick way to shake off sleepiness and get your body ready for the day's activities.
Yes, most of us grew up eating sugar disguised as cereal for breakfast, but as an adult, you should know better. Sugary breakfasts like cereal or pastries cause blood sugar spikes, leading to an energy crash later in the day. You'll feel tired, irritable, and unable to concentrate. Instead, opt for a balanced breakfast with protein, healthy fats, and fiber to maintain steady energy levels.
