If there is one thing I am not it is, a Morning person. Unfortunately there is quite a bit of stuff I like to do before I take off on my morning commute. This like vs. have to do allows me the ability to hit the snooze button as I see fit. Over the past year I have noticed when I do hit snooze it does have a detrimental effect on my mental clarity during the day. Last week I blew it, I hit the snooze and it ruined my day.
By now we should all understand that our sleep happen in cycles. No?
“Sleep occurs in cycles—a complex series of sleep-types with different neurological features and benefits. The two most important are rapid eye movement (REM) and deep sleep. The first lets your brain sift through the pervious day's activities, while the second provides the pure rest your body requires to function. The two come and go during the night, and the duration of each stage varies from person to person. But we all experience more deep sleep early in the night, and more REM sleep before natural awakening, triggered by shifting chemical balances.” Jamie Condliffe
When reaching for that snooze button on my iphone I think “Just 10 More”, but in doing so it is robbing me of a lot of mental clarity. What actually is happening is that it is returning us to the beginning of a sleep cycles which is the worst point to awake in.
A recent study has concluded that there is less value in snooze sleep and doing so can lead to “sleepiness-related daytime impairment”.
Maybe you already knew all of this but still struggle with it like I do. There any many things I have tried, Sleep Apps, special lighting, setting multiple alarms, I even considered buying this Bacon Alarm Clock. The solution I have found works best is to mentally prepare myself to get up without excuses. I set out my running shoes and shorts next to my bed so all I have to do jump out and get the day started. I have never once regretted my morning run…well...after it was over.
#noexcuses #getmoving