HEALTH WELLNESS
Why Stress & Anxiety Make You Poop

‘Nervous poos’ or ‘anxiety poops’ are more common than you might think. If you find you’re pooping more when you’re stressed or anxious, don’t worry you aren’t alone!
You might find yourself running to the toilet before a big presentation, an interview, or before an important day at school. If you struggle with anxiety, you might find that on days when your anxiety is high, you’re using the bathroom more often.
It’s not just in your head: stress and anxiety can actually affect your bowel movements. We’ll take a look at why this happens, and what you can do about it.
Why Do Stress and Anxiety Make You Poop?
Gut-Brain Axis
Your brain and digestive system are closely linked and can influence one another. Your emotions can have a big impact on your gut.
This can sound a bit far-fetched, but if you really think about it, there are lots of examples. You know when you feel nervous or excited and you get ‘butterflies in your stomach’? Or if you’re feeling angry or upset and don’t feel like eating? These are all examples of this strong connection between your emotions and your digestive system.
This connection is called the “gut microbiota-brain axis” or simply the “gut-brain axis”. Research shows that when we’re stressed or anxious, the hormones our body releases can disrupt the gut microbiota in our digestive tract. This affects the movement through our digestive tract, which can make us poop more!
Interestingly, evidence shows that this connection is bidirectional, meaning the health of our gut can also influence our brain function and mood.
Pain Messages
Some research suggests that anxiety may change how our brain interprets messages from the visceral nerves, which are nerves in our stomach and intestines. Scientists believe the brain may ‘think’ that the stomach and intestines are sending pain messages or indicating that movement needs to be sped up. This can result in diarrhea when we feel anxious.
Fight or Flight Response

You’ll likely have heard of the ‘fight or flight’ response: it’s how our body responds when it faces a ‘threat’ of any kind. Our nervous system gets us ready for action by increasing our heart and breathing rate. Resources are redirected to areas of the body that will be needed for action, and away from those that won’t (such as your digestive system).
This results in movements in the stomach and small intestine being slowed down, while movement in the large intestine is sped up. Unfortunately, this typically leads to diarrhea.
The flight or flight response is helpful and keeps us safe when we face a threat, but when it’s activated for a prolonged period due to stress or anxiety, it can take its toll on the body.
Changes in Sleep
Often when we’re stressed or anxious, we make lifestyle changes that can indirectly affect our digestive system. For example, if you have an important test or interview the next day, you might stay up late practicing or you might find that you are unable to sleep restfully due to nerves.
Lack of sleep can increase stress levels and the stress response in the body, which can contribute to digestive issues.
Some research shows a link between sleep quality and digestive health, with one study finding that: “poor sleep is associated with increased odds for multiple upper and lower GI symptoms”. This includes more frequent bowel movements, diarrhea, and constipation.
Changes in Diet
If you’re nervous you might eat more or less than you usually do, which understandably can affect your digestive system. You might also make different food choices, for example reaching for less healthy foods because they feel comforting or because they’re quick to grab.
If you do this, you aren’t alone and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. However, these dietary changes can upset your digestive system and contribute to changes in bowel movements.
What You Can Do About It

Now that we know what causes ‘nervous poops’, you might be wondering what you can do about it! Don’t worry, there are ways you can tackle the problem by improving your gut health and reducing stress levels. The tips below are a great place to start.
Alter Your Diet
Changing what you eat and drink, especially before an event that might make you feel anxious or stressed, can help you to settle your stomach. Try to avoid alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine as these can upset your stomach and may play a part in increasing anxiety.
Avoid excessively spicy, rich, or fatty foods before an important event. They’re heavy on your stomach and irritate your digestive system. If possible stick to balanced, healthy meals, especially you’re facing times of stress.
You might notice specific dietary triggers that irritate your stomach. If you do, you can start making a note of them to see if they consistently have this effect, then you can avoid these triggers to improve your digestive health.
Improve Your Sleep
Since sleep can have such a pivotal influence on your stress levels, you can tackle stress by working on improving your sleep. Actively make sleep a priority, even more so when you know you have a stressful event coming up.
Sleep hygiene, which simply means positive habits to improve your sleep quality, can be helpful. This includes making time to wind down before bed; watching what you eat and drink close to bedtime and making your bedroom a relaxing place.
Sleeping when you’re stressed can be difficult, but it is possible. Here are some more tips to guide you.
Mindfulness

Mindfulness is an excellent way to reduce stress and anxiety, helping you to regulate your emotions and feel calmer. Mindfulness practices are about being present in the moment without worry or judgment.
Practicing mindfulness regularly has a whole range of wonderful benefits, including:
You can check out more about the benefits of mindfulness in our detailed article.
Impressively, research shows that mindfulness has the power to reduce the fight or flight response, actively reducing the impact of stress.
There are lots of types of mindfulness you can try, for example, meditation, guided visualization, breathing exercises, mindful movement (like yoga and tai chi), and even eating mindfully!
Yes, that’s right, you can engage in mindfulness while you’re preparing food and eating it. It can even improve your relationship with food and promote better digestion. Check out our guide on mindful eating if you want to learn more.
Exercise
Exercise is a fantastic way to tackle stress and anxiety, as well as helping to regulate your digestive system. Of course, it also has a wide range of other health benefits too!
Research shows that when we exercise, stress hormones are reduced, and ‘feel good’ hormones called endorphins are increased. This helps us to feel calmer and promotes a sense of well-being.
Exercise also helps us to deal with the fight or flight response, and in turn, protects our digestive system from the harmful effects of stress.
Stay Hydrated

Studies show that if you’re dehydrated, it can increase the body’s stress response, including levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Thankfully that means that staying hydrated is a simple but effective way to reduce stress levels in your body and keep yourself healthy.
If you have diarrhea, it’s really important that you keep yourself hydrated as you’re losing more fluid than normal. So, keep drinking that water!
Over the Counter Medication
There are over-the-counter medications that can help you to tackle diarrhea and constipation at home. They can also help with other symptoms of digestive upset, such as bloating and cramping.
Always follow the label carefully so you know how to take the medication safely. It’s always best to check with your doctor before taking over-the-counter medicine, especially if you have other health conditions or take prescription medication.
Deal With Stressors Head-On
If you can identify specific stressors in your life then dealing with them head-on can help you to tackle the problem and reduce stress in your life. For example, if you have a problem at work you might be able to talk to your colleagues or manager, or if you have an issue with a friend or partner, open communication may be able to resolve things.
Although it’s natural to avoid difficult situations, this only leaves your emotions bottled up and increases stress over time. Even if it makes you a bit nervous, facing things and making proactive changes can be beneficial!
Check out our article on how to live a stress-free life for more tips on how to reduce stress.
When to Seek Help

When health problems get too much, it’s time to reach out for professional help so you can get things back on track. Let’s take a look at when you should seek help.
Getting Help for Anxiety and Stress
If your stress or anxiety is lasting for long periods, for example, months at a time, and you find that it’s disrupting your life and making it hard to function, then it’s time to ask for help.
You can start by going to your doctor, and they may refer you to services that can help if needed. You may be able to try medications to help you cope, and therapy to give you the tools you need to deal with your emotions.
When to Seek Help for Digestive Problems
If you experience any of the following, it’s best to get checked by your doctor to make sure your digestive issues aren’t anything more serious:
Ongoing, additional symptoms of illness such as vomiting, feeling dizzy, and severe fatigue
If you feel as though something isn’t right, it’s always best to get checked by a professional. You know your body best!
No More Anxious Poops!
By reducing stress in your life and improving your digestive health, you can reduce anxious poops or even stop them all together! Try out some of these tips next time you’re struggling and see if they make a difference.
1. Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA, (2020), “Can anxiety cause diarrhea?” Medical News Today.
2. Jane A.Foster, Linda Rinaman, John F.Cryan, (2017), “Stress & the gut-brain axis: Regulation by the microbiome”. Neurobiology of Stress, Volume 7, December 2017, Pages 124-136.
3. Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, (2008), “Sleep and Mood”.
4. Cremonini, F., Camilleri, M., Zinsmeister, A. R., Herrick, L. M., Beebe, T., & Talley, N. J. (2009). “Sleep disturbances are linked to both upper and lower gastrointestinal symptoms in the general population.” Neurogastroenterology and motility : the official journal of the European Gastrointestinal Motility Society, 21(2), 128–135.
5. Tom Ireland, (2014), “What Does Mindfulness Meditation Do to Your Brain?” Scientific American.
6. Mayo Clinic, (2020), “Exercise and stress: Get moving to manage stress”.
7. Gina Shaw, (2009), “Water and Stress Reduction: Sipping Stress Away”. WebMD.
Source link: https://mellowed.com/stress-poop/ by Ann-Marie at mellowed.com

HEALTH WELLNESS
Stop Self Diagnosing: 5 Reasons to See a Doctor Instead

These days, it seems like everyone’s a doctor. From nutritional advice to various diagnostic testing services online to natural remedies for everything, it’s easy to find a treatment to almost every problem online.
Sites like WebMD and HealthLine can allow you to quickly look up your symptoms to determine the most likely trigger. Self-diagnosing can be helpful in a pinch (when you need a quick way to bandage a small cut or advice on how to subside a headache), but it may be doing you more harm than good.
Here are five reasons why you might want to seek the advice of a medical professional, rather than self-diagnosing.
1. Online Credibility Can be Questionable
Sure, nerdygUrl684 on that well-established health forum has great advice on coping with depression, but you have no idea who she is. Is she really a licensed therapist? Did she really suffer from depression? And even if so, how can you be sure the natural treatment plan that worked for her will help you?
The truth is, you can’t. Every individual is different and if you’re suffering from a mental illness, working out a treatment plan with a therapist is your best course of action. They can unbiasedly assess your progress and work on goals that best fit your health goals.
The same goes for physical symptoms. Just because a so-called doctor online recommended dietary changes to improve your gut issues, doesn’t mean you should skip the doctor. You might need immediate treatment to help improve your problems, along with making nutritional changes.
2. Home Remedies Can Be Dangerous
Natural remedies are great. Many people want to avoid taking antibiotics, since they can hurt your immune system and cause other problems. And if you can avoid antibiotics and get better, that’s awesome! But don’t forget that antibiotics save lives every day and are a valid form of treatment.
This is particularly important when dealing with women’s health issues. There are many natural remedies online for yeast and other vaginal infections that can be downright scary or even painful to try out. And many of these remedies can make your problems worse or lead to new issues.
Natural remedies are great, but try working with a naturopath or physician who is open to alternative medicine, instead.
3. You Can’t Be Objective About Yourself
Many times psychological illnesses have physical components that people misdiagnose on their own. Those stomach ulcers are physical, without a doubt, but they may be linked to severe anxiety.
Your acne might be helped with topical creams from stores or your kitchen cupboard, but your might be overlooking a problem on the inside that a doctor would catch.
You can’t be objective about your own health or state of mind, no matter how logical you are. Not visiting a doctor can be severely detrimental to your health and can lead to even worse problems down the line.
4. You Can Make Yourself Sick
We’ve all hopped on WebMD and typed in our symptoms, fearing for the worse. It’s hard to find a string of symptoms that doesn’t indicate that you might have cancer or another serious disease.
Even when the odds are likely that you don’t, worrying about the threat of disease can lead you to thinking every mental or physical ailment is a sign of the worst.
That headache? Obviously a brain tumor. Your nervousness about a big interview? Crippling anxiety. That pain in your chest? You’re having a heart attack.
Constantly searching for answers to strange symptoms can lead us to believe we’re always sick or developing worse problems. Googling your symptoms can turn you into a hypochondriac and make you paranoid about every sneeze, cough, or hiccup.
5. WebMD is a Database, Not a Doctor
It’s great having access to medical information whenever you want it, but remember, WebMD and similar sites are databases with stored information. Just look at some of the symptoms of the diseases you’re looking up: headache, nausea, dizziness… they’re common symptoms for so many diseases, both mental and physical!
Talking to your doctor and allowing them to run tests, if needed, is the only way to be sure about your diagnosis and this certainty will allow you peace of mind.
Stop making yourself sick by self-diagnosing and make an appointment with your family doctor, instead.
Source link: https://mellowed.com/self-diagnosing/ by Courtney Johnston at mellowed.com
HEALTH WELLNESS
How to Practice Yoga at Home

These days, Yoga is a popular practice in North America, and for good reason: the ancient Eastern practice can bring many physical and mental benefits to its practitioners. Some of its most touted benefits include increased flexibility, weight loss, and an improved sense of well-being.
There are now over 6000 yoga studios across the U.S. which offer guided classes to seasoned yogis and beginners alike.
But yoga memberships are expensive and not everyone feels comfortable practicing yoga in a studio environment (especially if you’re just starting out).
Over the years, I’ve come to prefer practicing yoga in the comfort of my home, so that I can flow how I want, at my own pace. (Plus, there’s no one around to witness my face plants whenever I topple over in bakasana pose!)
Even better, a yoga practice from home is cost-effective and easy to start! If you’re brand new to yoga, here are seven steps to start practicing yoga at home:
1. Attend a Live Yoga Class First
Although not strictly necessary, I would highly recommend attending a few live yoga classes first if you are a total beginner. The reason is that it can be really difficult to know if you’re doing the poses correctly without a teacher there to explain how to get into the poses and how to modify them where necessary.
Even the most basic poses, like Downward facing dog, are surprisingly easy to goof up without guidance.
I can’t tell you how many moments I had in a yoga class when I was (somewhat smugly) thinking I was doing a pose correctly, but then my teacher would gently adjust me this way or that, and suddenly I’d have a lightbulb moment like, “Ahh, that’s what I should be doing!”)
Most yoga studios do offer a few free or discounted classes for new students. It’s worth the investment to go a few times just to have a foundation on which to build your home practice.
2. Pick Your Spot
One of my favorite things about Yoga is you don’t need much space to get ‘er done. If you can roll out your mat and spread your arms out without touching anything, you’re good to go.
However, there are still a few factors to consider.
If you have any pets, assume with certainty that they will get in the way. My cat loves to walk through my arms and stick her butt in my face during downward-facing dog. I make sure she is in another room while I’m practicing so that I’m not worried about stepping or tripping over her.
I’ve heard that dogs are even worse for this. (Even though you can apparently incorporate them into your practice with one of the newer yoga trends, “Doga”.)
And if you have family or housemates around, I don’t recommend using the living room unless you know for sure no one else will be using it. Trying to flow through sun salutations while your sister is watching the Kardashians is a decidedly un-Zen experience.
You could even try moving your practice outside as some yogis find that nature and sunlight help their practice.
3. Buy a Quality Yoga Mat (and Optional Accessories)
Another great thing about yoga is that you don’t need much equipment at all to get started, just comfortable clothes and a mat.
However, yoga mat shopping is not the time to be frugal. Cheap mats will cause you to slide around (possibly hurting yourself), or they may bunch up and tear.
Take it from me; a poor quality mat is really distracting and discouraging so it’s worth investing in a good one. (B Mat is hands down my favorite!)
How to Choose the Best Yoga Mat
Learn how to choose the right yoga mat for you, and see our favorites!
Other than that, you don’t need much else. Of course, there is a ton of Yoga gear you can spend money on if you want to; everything from bolsters to blocks and straps. But most of these things are easily substituted with household items, like books instead of blocks, or a belt instead of a strap.
Other nice-to-have accessories for a home yoga practice are a mirror and a portable speaker. The mirror helps if you have one available as it can help you see if you’re doing the poses correctly, and the speaker is for yoga music that gets you in the right headspace for your session.
4. Set an Intention for Your Yoga Journey
What do you want to get out of your yoga practice? More flexibility? Greater strength? A way to tame nervous energy? Just want to figure out how to stand on your head?
There are any number of reasons to practice so setting an intention before you start can help you put a game plan in place and build a consistent routine.
Then once you’ve chosen a goal, decide how often you will practice and schedule it into the calendar.
Because if you don’t schedule it, you aren’t going to do it. Trust me on this.
5. Choose a Yoga Style
When I first started looking into yoga, I was surprised and a little overwhelmed to learn that there are a plethora of yoga styles to choose from, some wildly different than others. But since you have already set goals and an intention for your practice, it should be relatively easy to narrow down which yoga styles you’d like to try.
Hatha yoga is probably the most common in the U.S. and typically a more basic style of yoga that’s great for beginners.
Ashtanga or Vinyasa will be more your speed if you’re looking for weight loss, while Restorative yoga a more passive form that’s great for relaxation and mental well-being.
But those styles are just the tip of the iceberg! Read up on a few different styles and find the one that seems to best support your yoga goals.
6. Find a Virtual Yoga Teacher
While you could practice yoga on your own without any guidance, I would really recommend finding virtual yoga classes to guide your practice. Virtual yoga classes are my favorite because they keep your practice fresh, structured, and challenging.
However, there are a ton of yoga apps and online platforms out there, and sifting through them can be a bit overwhelming. My top recommendation is MyYogaWorks which has hundreds of classes and dozens of teachers to choose from, for every style and experience level.
MyYogaWorks: The Netflix of Yoga
Check out our review of MyYogaWorks below!
MyYogaWorks also has “Yoga Journeys” with pre-planned classes and you can also make your own class “playlists” and schedule them into whatever digital calendar you like to use.
7. Practice Safely
The most important thing to remember when embarking on a home yoga practice is that yoga shouldn’t hurt. Yes, yoga should be challenging, but do not force yourself into poses that are painful or you could end up with pulled muscles or worse!
I once pulled a muscle in my neck doing a supported shoulder stand and it took months to recover.
Start with easier, shorter classes and work your way up as you build more strength, flexibility, and stamina. You will be shocked at how much bendier and stronger you are after just a couple weeks of 10-15 minute classes!
If you are looking to do more advanced poses I would really recommend going to a yoga class or maybe one-on-one yoga teaching in-home. Always put safety first so that you don’t end up being transported to the hospital looking like a mangled pretzel.
Start Practicing Yoga at Home
When practiced safely and intentionally, a home yoga practice can be a great way to improve your overall health and well-being.
My favorite thing about a home yoga practice is that it truly becomes your practice. If I want to spend ten minutes in my favorite restorative pose, or work on my arm balances during my lunch break, it’s just a matter of unfurling my mat.
It’s such a great feeling when you know that a dose of physical and mental energy is just a yoga mat away!
Source link: https://mellowed.com/how-to-practice-yoga-at-home/ by Corrie Alexander at mellowed.com
HEALTH WELLNESS
How to Go to Sleep Earlier: 9 Simple Tips

Nobody wants to deal with sleep problems.
Getting a full night’s sleep is not only important to ensure you’re alert and ready to go the next morning, but it’s also important for your physical and mental health.
Sleep is essential to your overall health, and yet many struggle to get enough sleep at night. Whether it’s due to sleep problems, poor sleeping habits or even your daytime habits (yes, what you do during the day effects how you sleep at night), not being able to fall asleep is a common problem.
Read on to find out why you should make sleep a priority in your life and how to get yourself on a better sleep schedule.
Why Regular Sleep is Important
When you’re asleep, your body undergoes important physical maintenance. During REM sleep (or deep sleep), your body recharges your heart, heals damaged cells and blood vessels, and helps boost your immune system.
It can also ensure you’re more productive and mentally balanced, while reducing anxiety. So you can probably understand why forming good sleep habits and getting good sleep every night is so important, right?
However, 1 out of 5 Americans suffer from sleep disorders, preventing them from falling or staying asleep (sleep loss). This can cause a myriad of other disorders, all stemming from a lack of sufficient 5eep.
If you have sleep problems and struggle to fall asleep at night or find yourself parked in front of the TV or computer until 2 am, there are some helpful tips you can take advantage of to help yourself fall asleep earlier, every night.
9 Tips To Help You Go To Sleep Earlier
You may think you’re a night owl, but once you get on a regular sleep routine, you may change your mind. Here are five tips to help you successfully get to bed earlier.
1. Create an Evening Bedtime Routine
Setting a scheduled bedtime is one of the easiest ways to solve your sleep problems.
This tip won’t work for everyone, especially if you’re constantly working odd hours. However, if you have a predictable job, regular school schedule, or flexibility to manage your own calendar, then take advantage of it by planning your bedtime routine.
The general premise here according to sleep experts, is to set a time to set a specific bedtime and stick to it — even on weekends. Your circadian rhythm thrives on routine and will help ensure you get better REM sleep. You’ll find yourself actually becoming tired at bedtime and your mind will be in sleep mode.
2. Set an Electronic Curfew
Unplugging from electronic devices can help your mind destress and prepare for sleep. You might think you’re relaxing when watching TV or playing a game, but you’re really keeping your mind engaged and active and preventing yourself from getting quality sleep.
If you find it difficult to fall asleep at night, research shows that electronics may be to blame. Even if you’re tossing and turning, resist the urge to reach for your phone. The blue light emitted from electronics can actually halt melatonin and prevent your body from falling asleep easily.
3. Ditch Your Alarm Clock
Most of us have alarm clocks on our phone, but some people prefer old fashioned clocks or alarm clocks. If you can read your clock at night, though, it’s more likely to interfere with your sleep.
Have you ever woken up, only to look at the time and realized you only had an hour and a half left to sleep before your alarm went off? This disruption can interfere with your sleep cycle and natural circadian rhythm, and some people may even find it impossible to fall back asleep, getting up earlier than planned, instead.
Instead of looking to the clock and getting anxious about when you have to wake up, remove the temptation altogether. While you shouldn’t look at your phone, if you think you’ll be tempted, plug it in away from the bed, so you’ll need to get up to peek at it.
4. Eat Four Hours Before Bedtime
Eating late at night really can keep you awake. When the stomach is digesting food, it’s harder for your body to understand it’s time to shut down and go to sleep. To avoid this, it’s recommended you have your last meal a minimum of four hours before you go to bed.
This means if your bedtime is 10:30 pm, you should eat dinner at 6:00 pm or earlier to ensure you give your body adequate time to digest. You also need to eliminate late night snacking — even a small snack can impact your sleep cycle.
5. Establish Bedtime Rituals
If you’re dealing with a sleep problem, one of the first things you should think about is your bedtime habit. What are you doing immediately before you lay down?
Creating a pre-bedtime routine can really help your body get in sync and ready for sleep. Doing the same things every night, in the same order can help your body anticipate sleep, helping you fall asleep faster.
Now, everyone has different sleep requirements to “get them in the mood”. But in general, your pre-bedtime rituals should be lowkey and soothing.
Washing your face, showering, taking a bath, and brushing your teeth are standard tasks to add to a routine. You might even want to add calming activities like listening to soothing music, or reading for 15 minutes to the start of your routine. Any type of relaxation technique that puts you at rest should work.
Heck, some people even like to do some relaxing exercises like deep stretching or yoga. And there are some people who just have so much energy throughout the day that they need strenuous nighttime exercises in order to fall asleep.
If it helps you relax, you might want to incorporate it into your bedtime routine.
6. Create a Comfortable Sleep Environment
The reason you go to sleep so late might not have anything to do with a sleep problem.
Some people have a tough time going to sleep earlier simply because their environment isn’t set up for a good night’s rest. Everything from the sounds around you to your mattress and pillow impact your sleep environment.
Luckily there are some quick things you can do to fix that. Obviously, invest in a quality mattress and pillows (seriously, don’t skimp out here). Instead of buying a cheap $50 boxspring mattress off Craigslist, find a mattress that fits your sleeping style. Here’s a guide to help.
Second, if you live somewhere noisy like in a major city, invest in some earplugs if you’re not able to drown out the noise. Quietness is a must-have for a good sleep environment.
And for my night owls out there who work overnight and sleep during the day, get yourself a sleep mask to help block out the sun (black-out curtains help too).
Do whatever you need to create a comfortable sleep environment that lets you relax and unwind.
7. Don’t Rely on Sleep Medicine & Other Sleep Aids
As tempting as it might be to get a bottle of sleeping pills and sleep aids, try to avoid it if possible. That is, unless your doctor tells you that you have a severe sleep problem or sleep behavior disorder that requires medication.
The reason being is you don’t want to become dependent on medication in order to get some peaceful slumber.
8. Change Your Wakeup Time
The best cure for your sleep problem could be to change your wake time and morning routine. Some people don’t realize it, but your sleep habits also include what happens when you wake up.
So if you want to go to sleep earlier, you need to wake up earlier as well. Think about it. If you’re waking up at 11:00AM every day, the chances of you being tired enough to go to sleep at 10:00PM are slim since your body has only been awake for less than 12 hours.
So how do you wake up earlier? Well, the same way you set a regular bedtime and sleep routine, you’ll need a regular wake time and morning routine. It might be going for a run first thing in the morning, or showering and early meditation.
The key is just to establish a routine so your body gets in the habit of waking up at a certain time every morning. And of course, it’ll help your body’s sleep rhythm as well since you’re going to sleep and waking up around the same time every day.
9. Nap With Caution
When you’re not sleeping enough at night, your body’s natural reaction is to get sleepy during the day. And of course, that leads to naps.
Naps can be a nice way to recharge your body in the middle of a long grueling day. But be careful! If you’re taking too many naps or napping for too long, it might make your sleep deprivation even worse.
Remember, your body has a natural circadian clock that it wants to follow. Taking a nap in the middle of the day for hours can throw that off.
So how long should you nap? Generally the shorter the better. But according to some sleep research conducted by NASA, 40-minute naps improved alertness 100%.
Say Goodbye to Sleep Deprivation & Hello to the Best Sleep of Your Life
Falling asleep can be stressful for many of us, and sleep deprivation is no joke. But trying to set a regular bedtime and sleep schedule can help your body fall asleep more easily. Try incorporating these tips into your life to sleep better and see if you’re able to finally wake up feeling recharged and renewed.
Source link: https://mellowed.com/how-to-go-to-sleep-earlier/ by Courtney Johnston at mellowed.com
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