How to Not Let Acute Insomnia Ruin the Rest of the Day

1/16/2020

Waking up two hours before your alarm can ruin the rest of the day, but what if you could turn it into something positive instead?

Blonde woman in striped shirt lying in bed looking at the camera

This morning I woke up at 5 am and couldn't get back to sleep. If you're an early riser it might not sound that bad to you, but I have my alarm set at 6.55 am and had gone to sleep with that time in mind. . .

So at first I did what I always do when this happens -- I kept changing position, willing myself to go back to sleep.

But then it was suddenly after 6 and the morning already felt really long, and I hadn't even left bed yet. Not being able to sleep usually puts me in a really bad mood, cause I feel so crappy, and I didn't want to spend my day like that.

So after cuddling with the dog I resolved to turn the very early day around, tiptoed to my closet and pulled on sweatpants and a sweatshirt (the basement is really cold), and headed downstairs with the puppy in tow to our squat rack.

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How to not let acute insomnia ruin the rest of your day

Do something good with the extra time you now have

I've just recovered from a cold so I took it pretty easy, and spent around 15 minutes doing barbell squats and overhead presses with a plate and stretched afterwards. And I felt so much better! I mean you usually do after a workout, but I was in an unusually good mood at work and was dancing around in my chair listening to bluegrass covers on Spotify. That's really not how I usually am when I am sleep deprived.

Sometimes it really doesn't take a lot to turn a day around, but it can still be a challenge. Especially when you're lying in bed begging to go back to sleep -- leaving bed to do something is like admitting defeat and finally giving up on the possibility of more sleep.

But if you can do something good for yourself -- be it a workout or reading a book or cleaning up the kitchen -- you turn it into something good that you wouldn't have done if you had slept until your alarm. Of course I prefer to sleep as long as I can, but pushing myself to do something productive totally changed the outlook of my day and it's those small things that really make a difference.

Practicing to do that, even when it feels hard, is what will help you keep your good mindset and habits alive for when you really need them.

8 energizing things to do to get through the day

So even though you've made your best to have a good mental health day, you're still dead tired, right? Try these 8 tips to get through the day until you can go to bed again!

Go for a walk outside and let the fresh air wake you up (repeat on your breaks if possible)
Chew gum (this has gotten me through so many late-night drives)
Drink water
Take a lot of breaks
Eat nutritious snacks
Take a nap (I make a nest of jackets and a blanket in my office on the floor, sometimes just to relax on long lunch breaks)
Listen to upbeat music
Drink coffee, green or black tea, or Monster for a caffeine boost

THE WHITE TEA LOW-CALORIE MONSTER I KEEP ON HAND AT HOME

Update: a mere 8 hours after posting this I found myself wide awake, again, looking sadly at my phone who told me that it was only 4.30 am. I managed to fall back asleep after a while, but then the dog (who has a troublesome stomach) NEEDED to go out 40 minutes before my alarm.

I'm not gonna lie, being on day 2 of lack of sleep and having to chase the cat who snuck out into the yard is not a good combination. I kept angrily telling myself "You JUST wrote about this! Get a grip!" So, to not make myself a liar, I went here and updated and fine-tuned my post. I'm still tired, and it will definitely be a Monster day to not make mistakes at work, but still -- I did something good and creative with the time, which I'm proud of, and once again I'm beginning my day in a better way than if I just had laid in bed feeling sorry for myself.

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