5 Ways to Recover from a Late Night

Healthy Living Asia brings you 5 ways to recover from a late night. Health, wellbeing and lifestyle tips on The HK HUB.

5 Tips To Help You Feel Refreshed and Revived After a Late Night

Whether you’ve been having business dinners or going for a night out with friends, inevitably you feel exhausted the next day.  Here are five ways to keep going strong till you can hit your pillow for a full nights’ rest.

1.  Keep up your fluids

Drinking enough water sounds easy, but when you are in the moment with friends, it’s important to remember to drink water to help you keep your focus and vigilance up.  Most likely your body will be demanding quick forms of energy like sugar-laden drinks, juice or any sugary caffeinated drinks due to general depletion.  And when you are tired, you are more apt to grab anything.  If cold water doesn’t suit you, try a little bit of caffeine.   An espresso shot can last up to eight hours, giving you that last bit of energy to get through the day.  Beware as overconsumption of caffeine can cause jitters, energy swings and if you continue drinking throughout the day, it can lead to another sleepless night.

2.  Stay cool

It may be tough to take that first step into a cold shower, but there’s more to it than just waking you up in the morning.  You can be assured after stepping into a goose-bump inducing shower, you will certainly be more alert than when you got in!  Alternating between cold and warm water improves your blood circulation, increases your metabolism and is beneficial to your immune system.  Additionally, you can ditch the sweater at the office and keep yourself cool.  That extra bit of chill will keep you awake during the day.

3.  Exercise

Getting the energy to muster a bit of cardio is that last thing you probably want to do.  However, a quick 20-30 minutes of exercise will get your blood pumping and go miles towards helping you feel better quickly.  Walking, running, going to the gym or doing some energizing yoga poses are great ways to get your blood flowing again.  Camel pose, warrior pose I and II, side planks, bridges and sun salutations are just a few poses to get you going any time of the day or when your energy starts to lag.  Exercise in the afternoon is especially effective, as your core temperature naturally drops into the mid-afternoon slump.  A brisk walk will wake up your body; even better is to go walk outside in the sunshine.

4.  Take a 20 minute nap

A short nap can be difficult to manage at work, but if you have the chance, here is how to get the most out of putting your feet up.  Maximizing your little bit of sleep can significantly improve your mental functions:  memory, alertness, reduction of mistakes and general performance improves greatly with a short nap.  Limit your nap to 30 minutes with your eyes closed and you will start to suffer from sleep inertia. For the best results, a nap followed by a bit of caffeine is the best combination to get you up and going.  If you are worried about getting up, go for the caffeine nap.  Drink an espresso or cup of coffee and then lay your head down.  Twenty minutes later, you get your nap and the caffeine will kick in to wake you up.

 5.  Go outside

Not only does sunshine remind you that it’s time to be awake, but getting natural light on your face will help you sleep better at night.   A few studies have proven that alertness, improved mood and more are all the result of sunlight exposure.

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