Put a Finger Up If You Are Chronically Exhausted
if you depend on caffeine and haven’t had a good night’s sleep since elementary school. Wait, I’m kind of exposing myself right now. If this sounds like you, you probably convince yourself that you’re lazy, unmotivated, or broken. But the truth is, nothing is wrong with you.
You’re Just Running on Empty
You’re running on empty because you haven’t given yourself enough time to fully rest. That used to be me. I woke up at 5:00 a.m. throughout high school and pushed myself to work out even when my body hadn’t fully recovered from the night before.
But after I fixed these five things, I improved my quality of life dramatically. I no longer felt like I was on the verge of crashing every day.
These Are the Five Biggest Energy and Sleep Mistakes
These are the five biggest energy and sleep mistakes you may be making without realizing it. I’m going to show you how to fix them so you can start tonight, wake up tomorrow, and feel your best.
How Your Hormones Affect Sleep
The first energy and sleep mistake you may be making is living on a stress roller coaster.
Do You Ever Feel So Tired During the Day and Ready for Bed
Do you ever feel exhausted all day and feel completely ready for bed, but the second your head hits the pillow, you suddenly feel wide awake?
Stress hormones can contribute to this problem.
When You Are Constantly Stressed Out About Work, School, or Your Social Life
When you constantly stress about work, school, your social life, and everything else, and then scroll through TikTok until 1:00 a.m., you keep your body in a stimulated state.
You may also spend the night overthinking your studies, work, or what you’re going to wear tomorrow. These constant thoughts don’t give your mind a chance to fully rest. Instead, they create more stress and can leave your nervous system feeling dysregulated.
Basically, Your Body Doesn’t Know When It’s Safe to Relax
Your body may struggle to recognize when it should relax. Even when you lie down at night, you may still have trouble falling asleep.
So how can you fix this?
One of the most effective things you can do every day is create a 10-minute, low-stimulation night routine.
This Means No Phone, Dim Lights, and a Low-Stimulation Activity
Put your phone away, dim the lights, and choose a calming activity such as reading, journaling, or meditating.
You want to signal to your brain that it is safe to relax.
However, when you scroll through social media, text all your friends, or binge-watch a show, you tell your brain to stay alert and pay attention even though it’s nighttime.
Working Out Too Late Can Also Keep Your Stress Levels High
Working out immediately before bed can keep your body stimulated and make it harder to enter a relaxed state.
If you prefer evening workouts, try to finish exercising at least one to two hours before bedtime. Then follow your workout with a 10-minute low-stimulation routine.
This combination can help your mind and body settle down and prepare for sleep.
I Am Unfortunately a Very Anxious Sleeper
This habit has worked wonders for me because I tend to become anxious at night.
I usually have racing thoughts when I try to sleep, but calming my nervous system and staying away from social media at night has helped me fall asleep much more easily.
The Other Habit That Can Ruin Your Energy: Not Moving Enough
The opposite problem can also affect your sleep and energy. You may simply not move enough during the day.
Sitting for too long can make you feel even more tired. When you stay sedentary all day, you don’t give your brain and body strong signals that you’re active during the daytime.
Less physical activity can also reduce the amount of deep sleep you get because not all sleep provides the same level of restoration.
When You Don’t Move Enough, Your Body Doesn’t Build Enough Sleep Pressure
When you don’t move much, your body may not build enough sleep pressure. Adenosine contributes to this natural sleep pressure.
As a result, you may not feel tired enough at night and may get less deep, restorative sleep.
Long periods of sitting can also make you feel sluggish. You can end up in a frustrating cycle where low movement leads to low energy, low energy affects your sleep, and poor sleep leaves you with even less energy the next day.
Add Small Movement Breaks Throughout the Day
One of the easiest ways to fix this problem involves adding short movement breaks throughout the day.
You don’t need to jog for an hour after work. Try moving for just 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
I know how difficult it can feel to stay consistent with exercise, especially when you’re busy or don’t want to leave your house for the gym.
That’s why I love working out at home, and one of my favorite at-home workouts right now involves my rowing machine from Kingsmith.
The machine feels especially convenient because it is compact and foldable. Unlike larger exercise equipment, it folds down to about the size of a 26-inch suitcase, which makes it useful for smaller apartments.
It also provides a low-impact way to get your blood flowing without jumping or putting unnecessary pressure on your joints.
I can hop on for 10 minutes between work breaks, get my body moving, and feel more energized.
The machine uses dual resistance with 77 pounds of water resistance and 33 pounds of magnetic resistance. You can also adjust the resistance level to match your training needs, which makes the rower suitable for different members of the family.
My dad actually loves it and uses it all the time.
The machine also comes with its own app for tracking workout data and works with the Komap app, which offers guided rowing workouts from professional coaches and competitive challenges.
When I finish my workout, I simply fold the machine up and move it out of the way.
Thank you so much to Kingsmith. If you’re interested in checking out this rowing machine or other Kingsmith fitness products, I’ll put the link down below.
Thank you again to Kingsmith for sponsoring this video and supporting my health journey.
The Third Mistake: Consuming Too Much Caffeine and Sugar
The third mistake that may be ruining your sleep and energy involves consuming too much caffeine and sugar, especially at the wrong time.
If you drink coffee first thing in the morning and then drink more in the afternoon, you may disrupt your natural energy cycle.
Caffeine can remain active in your system for several hours. So if you drink it late in the afternoon, you may still feel its effects when you go to bed.
You might fall asleep, but caffeine can interfere with the deep, restorative sleep your body needs.
Sometimes you may wake up feeling like you didn’t sleep at all.
It feels terrible. I literally think, “I just wasted eight hours of my life for what?”
Sugar can also contribute to energy highs and lows. Highly processed sugary foods can cause your energy to rise and fall quickly.
Avoid Energy Highs and Lows
Try waiting at least 60 to 90 minutes after waking before having your first caffeine.
After 2:00 p.m., try switching to herbal tea or water.
I sometimes crave something sweet, so I usually choose whole foods such as fruit or sweet potatoes. These foods also contain fiber, which helps slow digestion.
My Best Hack: Don’t Buy the Tempting Foods
My best advice is simple: don’t buy the foods that tempt you.
If you fill your cupboard with cookies, candy, and chocolate, you’ll probably reach for them when cravings hit. But if you don’t buy them in the first place, you make the choice much easier.
When you go grocery shopping, skip the tempting foods and choose options that can properly fuel your body.
Food Matters More Than You Think
I love food, but many women don’t prioritize eating enough, and that drives me crazy.
You don’t earn a trophy for eating only one meal a day. You don’t win anything by starving yourself.
If you survive on iced coffee and a granola bar and then wonder why you feel exhausted, your body is giving you the answer.
Your body needs enough fuel to keep you awake, active, and focused.
Stop Undereating and Eating Too Late
If you eat mostly carbohydrates, sugar, and processed snacks throughout the day, you may experience energy highs and crashes.
You may feel anxious, stressed, and even more exhausted. Then, when you finally eat a large meal at 9:00 p.m., your body has to digest that food while it should already be preparing for sleep.
Eating a heavy meal late at night can make it harder to relax and sleep comfortably.
If you want better energy and sleep, stop undereating and avoid pushing most of your food intake until late at night.
I love breakfast because I’ve tried fasting and skipping breakfast, but I always ended up overeating later because I became extremely hungry.
When you eat balanced meals throughout the day, you can support steadier energy instead of constantly riding an energy roller coaster.
Please Don’t Skip Your Meals
Please, please, please don’t skip your meals.
Skipping meals can leave you feeling more tired and can make it harder to maintain steady energy throughout the day.
You may think you aren’t hungry, but your body still needs consistent fuel.
You don’t gain anything by staying hungry. When you properly fuel your body, you may be surprised by how much better you can function.
Oversleeping and Sleeping at Inconsistent Times
Now, this next tip for improving sleep quality might surprise you.
Another major mistake involves oversleeping and maintaining an inconsistent sleep schedule.
Sleeping too much or constantly changing your sleep schedule can disrupt your body’s internal clock.
Your Circadian Rhythm Needs Consistency
When you change your sleeping and waking times frequently, you can throw off your circadian rhythm.
Your circadian rhythm helps your body coordinate processes such as sleep and wakefulness.
When you oversleep or constantly change your schedule, you may wake up feeling groggy and sluggish.
Even if you get the same number of hours of sleep, the timing still matters.
You can’t stay awake until 3:00 a.m. every weekend and expect to feel exactly the same on Monday.
Your body works best with consistency, so even nine hours of sleep may not feel refreshing if your schedule constantly changes.
I Learned This From My Own Experience
If you’re wondering how I know this, it’s because I lived it.
I used to wake up feeling exhausted because I went to sleep and woke up at completely different times every day.
Now I try to keep my bedtime and wake-up time consistent.
If you normally go to bed at 10:00 p.m. during the week, try to maintain a similar bedtime on the weekends.
Create a 10-Minute Low-Stimulation Routine
If you struggle to fall asleep at the same time every night, create a 10-minute low-stimulation routine.
That routine can help your mind and body prepare for sleep.
You also need to make your environment comfortable for sleeping.
Keep your bedroom cool and cover or turn off lights that stay on in the dark. Excessive light and noise can interfere with your sleep.
Yes, I may look a little crazy doing this, but I don’t care because improving my sleep has made such a huge difference.
Take Your Sleep Hygiene Seriously
I truly believe that taking your sleep hygiene seriously can dramatically improve your quality of life.
You may be surprised by how good you can feel when you consistently give your body enough rest.
I used to wake up every morning wondering how I would make it through the day.
After improving my sleep schedule and taking better care of my body, I actually started enjoying my mornings. Now, mornings have become one of my favorite parts of the day.
You Will Not Be Tired Forever
You don’t have to feel tired forever.
Stop convincing yourself that you can run on empty forever. Your body needs proper rest, movement, nutrition, and consistency.
Eventually, running on empty will catch up with you.
Give yourself permission to rest, fuel your body properly, move throughout the day, and build a sleep routine that actually supports you.
