By: Jeff E. Masters LMT, NASM-CPT, MPCT

Its 5:00 am.  Suddenly, your alarm begins to scream like a wailing banshee and in a sleep-induced haze you turn over, hit the snooze button and fall back to sleep only to wake up two hours later.  Harried, you realize that you have less than forty-five minutes to get to work.  Unshowered and disheveled, you arrive at work just in time and put in a full day at half your potential.  For some reason you can't shake that feeling of lethargy.  You notice you’re yawning a lot and may even say to yourself, ‘Gees, I’m tired but I got eight hours of sleep.’  You’re fighting the Sleep Monster!

Here are a few tools that may assist you in regulating your own energy levels and keep that Sleep Monster off your back:

“Early To Sleep…”

Establish good sleep habits.  Go to bed and wake up at regular intervals.  When your schedule allows, take short naps in the afternoon.  When you can sleep in, only allow yourself an hour longer than usual or you run the risk of disrupting your sleep cycle in much the same way that jet lag does.

“You Are What You Eat”

Make sure your diet is well balanced and you are getting all the nutrients your body needs.  If not, your body may begin to slow your metabolism and cause you to feel lethargic and drowsy.

“Exercise, It Does A Body Good”

It may sound counterintuitive to say that if you exercise you will have more energy, but your body and metabolism will rise to the challenge.  You will find that when combined with a sensible diet, exercise can increase your overall energy level dramatically.

“The AUM Factor”

Meditation allows the body to relax and clear away the mental chatter that is so prevalent during the day.  Meditation promotes a focused, balanced mental state and clarity of mind.  In a study conducted in Rome, Italy it was found that yogic breathing rapidly and significantly reduced the effects of physical stressors on the body.

By getting regular amounts of sleep combined with a balanced diet, a moderate exercise plan and the benefits of daily mediation, we can face our tomorrows alert, energized and ready for the day.  Good luck!