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titleHow to fake a good night's sleep

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caption49 Don’t let a bad night in bed ruin your day. Use these strategies to function like you’ve had a solid eight hours of shut-eye, even when you haven’t. By Karen Fittall goodhealth. When your alarm goes off: Don’t hit the snooze button Grabbing some extra sleep might seem like a smart move the morning after a bad night, but you need to get up sooner rather than later to increase your chances of having your brain in gear by the time you leave the house. It’s because of something called sleep inertia – that unavoidable groggy period when you fi rst wake up. It has a big impact: when US scientists compared the memory and thinking skills of people who’d been sleep deprived for 24 hours with those of people who had just woken up, the well-rested group performed signifi cantly worse. TOP TIP: Set your alarm for at least two hours before the time you need your brain to be fully functioning. Sleep inertia is worst in the fi rst few minutes after waking, but can last for up to two hours. At breakfast: Fuel up on plenty of fibre Welsh scientists have made a connection between eating a high-fi bre breakfast and energy levels, saying that it boosts alertness and reduces fatigue by 10 per cent. One theory is that it’s because of how fi bre aff ects digestion: it bumps up the number of friendly bacteria in the digestive tract and keeps you fuller for longer, both of which help maintain energy levels. TOP TIP: You’ll need to dish out a 40g serve of high-fi bre cereal to enjoy the benefi t. And because it takes about a week of increased fi bre intake for the energy-boosting eff ect to kick in, make it a daily habit, not just one that’s reserved for when you’re tired. Before you hit the office: Visit a coffee shop Feel free to grab a caff eine hit while you’re there, but it’s not the main reason why this works. Research says total silence shuts the brain’s creative regions do

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caption48 fake gm1213slep48 - 48 2013-10-11T16:22:46+11:00

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caption50 PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES / JOCHEN ARNDT/ FOLIO ID. COM the day? There’s an app for that: head to coffi tivity.com to download it, and a coff ee-shop vibe, to your smartphone or desktop. Before midday strikes: Tackle the tricky stuff It’s the best time to do it. University of Manchester researchers have found that alertness naturally increases as lunchtime approaches because your brain intuitively keeps you alert when your body needs fuel. Plus, between 9am and midday your circadian rhythm, the body clock that controls your sleep-wake cycle, is in its rising phase, where your body temperature is increasing and melatonin levels hit rock bottom. It’s a combination that adds up to your most alert state. TOP TIP: Grab a cup of coff ee before you start. According to a UK study, caff eine increases women’s problem-solving abilities, helping us complete stressful tasks under pressure more quickly and eff ectively. At lunchtime: Avoid fatty foods While carbohydrate-rich meals encourage alertness, fatty foods increase daytime sleepiness, researchers discovered earlier this year. So forget the burger and hot chips and go for a salad sandwich or pasta salad, instead. TOP TIP: Be aware: being sleep deprived makes fatty food more attractive, thanks to a combination of impaired decision-making skills and an increase in activity in the brain regions that respond to rewards. After you’ve eaten: Find some trees And take a stroll among them. Scottish scientists have evidence that taking a walk through a park recharges the brain’s batteries by reducing brain fatigue, the ‘everything’s too much’ feeling that missing out on sleep can intensify. The study also revealed that taking a walk on the street or through a shopping centre doesn’t produce the same result. TOP TIP: Don’t use the ‘I don’t have time’ excuse: a short, 800m walk in the park is enough

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caption51 PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES / JOCHEN ARNDT/ FOLIO ID. COM chewing action increases blood fl ow to the brain. TOP TIP: Boost the benefi t by choosing peppermint or cinnamon-fl avoured chewing gum. A diff erent group of scientists say both scents have an immediate, positive impact on alertness levels. If you’ve got time for a nap: Between 2-4pm is the time to take it It’s when your ‘need sleep’ instinct hits its peak the day after a bad night’s sleep. It’s partly down to the body’s natural rhythm and partly because blood glucose levels rise after lunch, a situation that aff ects fatigue-related brain chemicals. TOP TIP: Don’t sleep for too long. Adelaide-based researchers say a 10-minute nap is more effi cient at producing an instant improvement in feelings of fatigue and cognitive performance than a half-hour one. Before you drive home: Make sure you’re not thirsty UK researchers say hydration is the key to good reaction times, fi nding they can fl uctuate by up to 14 per cent depending on whether or not you’re thirsty when you get behind the wheel. TOP TIP: A small glass of water might not be enough to do the trick. The study participants who experienced the biggest improvement in their reaction times drank 775ml, or about three glasses of water, before putting their skills to the test. FREE FROM ALCOHOL, ARTIFICIAL COLOURS,AND PRESERVATIVES AVAILABLE AT ALL GOOD HEALTH STORES, SELECTED PHARMACIES AND SUPERMARKETS Enquiries, Nature’s Synergy Pty Ltd Phone (02) 9499 7023Fax (02) 9499 7024 Email: sales@cornell.com.au NATURAL HEALTHCARE SINCE 1916 Get your energy back with Floradix! Iron is diffi cult for the body to absorb – that’s where Floradix Herbal Iron Extract can be of assistance. Floradix contains a source of iron balanced with a range of B Vitamins and Vitamin C as well as other nutri-rich herbs. Taken twice daily, Floradix can assist in the maint