The snooze button may seem like your friend, but your relationship is probably toxic. Your alarm clock could be interfering with the quality and quantity of your sleep.

What happens to your brain when you keep hitting the snooze button each morning? You experience several stages of sleep throughout the night. Towards morning, the percentage of rapid eye movement or REM sleep increases. That’s when you dream and enjoy more restorative effects.

That’s also when you’re likely to hit the snooze button and interrupt the cycle. As a result, you tend to feel groggy and that sleep inertia can continue for hours.

Say goodbye to your snooze button and say hello to pleasant dreams. Try these tips for waking up more naturally.

How to Quit the Snooze Button Habit:

1. Make a commitment. Are you short-changing yourself on sleep so you can work late hours or watch Netflix? Remember that chronic fatigue can contribute to weight gain, heart conditions, and other health issues. Aim for at least 7 hours of sleep a night.

2. Keep your distance. Put the snooze button out of reach. Move your alarm clock or phone off your nightstand and place them across the room.

3. Budget your time. Do you set your alarm early so you can press snooze several times? Calculate how much time you really need in the morning and eliminate that leeway.

4. Plan a treat. Dangle a reward that will make you want to throw off the covers. Eat a delicious breakfast with grilled fish and fresh berries. Sign up for an early yoga or spin class before work.

5. Seek support. Let your family know what you’re doing. Cats and dogs can also be very persuasive when they want you to open your eyes.

6. Try an app. Sleep apps tend to be inaccurate because individual sleep patterns vary so widely. However, they can help you to be more aware of your behavior, especially while you’re trying to change your habits.

7. Vary the sounds. Maybe you’re so used to your alarm that you turn it off without even realizing what you’re doing. Use different sounds to capture your attention. You may also want to experiment with devices that use light or vibrations.

8. Deal with relapses. A long-standing snooze habit can take time to break. Be patient and grateful for gradual progress.

9. Talk with your doctor. What if you’re sleeping 7 to 8 hours a night and still having trouble waking up naturally? See your doctor to discuss whether you might have a sleep disorder.

Additional Tips for Restful Sleep:

1. Be consistent. Giving your mind and body sufficient rest is the most effective way to break the snooze button habit. Go to bed and rise at the same time each day as much as possible, even on weekends and holidays.

2. Block out noise. If the neighbor’s stereo is keeping you up, buy a fan or white noise machine. Look for comfortable ear plugs if you need more help.

3. Adjust the lights. Exposure to morning light changes your hormone levels. You’ll find it easier to wake up in the morning and fall asleep at night.

4. Turn off electronics. Bright lights and exciting movies stimulate your brain. Turn off the TV and other devices at least one to two hours before bed.

The next time you’re tempted to hit the snooze button, ask yourself if increasing your chances of a long and active life is more important than 9 minutes of fragmented sleep.

A consistent sleep schedule and other simple habits can help you wake up feeling fresh and enjoy each day more.

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“All the money in the world can’t buy you back good health.” Reba McEntire 

Our level of income directly affects our health. Did you know that? How much money you make helps to determine how healthy you will be. Doesn’t really make sense, if you don’t’ look at the broader picture. For example…In the big picture view: you are educated, have a degree, and are exposed to tons of information during your college years. You are exposed to health classes, athletes, and all sorts of professional people who already understand the importance of health in your life.

You’ve graduate college. Your income is nice, and you have the opportunity to purchase magazines, health and fitness (of course). Can you see how your education and intelligence levels affect your health? This example is a generalization; All you have to do is observe yourself verses some one whom does not have the  same advantages of health. Sad but true. Standard of living and health are directly related.

“Good health is not something we can buy. However, it can be an extremely valuable savings account.” Anne Wilson Schaef 

The availability of better care, whether it is through better company paid insurance, life in a metropolitan area versus rural area, or simply being able to afford a more specialized doctor when the situation warrants. In most cases, higher income families live in more populated areas, with access to better doctors and larger medical facilities. Often their employers have nurses or doctors that are retained, if not on staff, as emergencies warrant.

 

As a matter of fact, all responsible persons should take the time to educate themselves, and their children, about the benefits of healthy eating. Learning to eat for life in a health conscious way is one of the best guarantees for a long and fulfilling life. The quality of our lives is as important as the quantity to most individuals, but because of debilitating of not feeling well. We are often forced to make a decision and choose between quality and quantity.

Thanks to the advancements in modern medicine, the average person’s life span can now exceeds seventy years. If you stop to think, that’s quite a long time to walk around on this earth. Along with the wonderful life expectancy increases, we have the detrimental effects of overeating and unhealthy eating. It seems that as we advance in one area, we regress in others.

 

The issue of obesity brings this debate to the forefront:

• The first question I always ask, is how did we get here?
• What kind of quality life can someone have because of their weight?
• How did we go from one of the most physically fit nations, to just wallowing in our weight?

The answer lies in our lack of education about the weight gaining, process, and a lack of concern about our children learning how to eat and exercise correctly. Today, we must determine:

• How much nourishment
• Physical exercise is needed, and
• How best to accomplish those goals.

The question raised in the title of this article, would have a resounding YES as the answer. The life you choose to lead, no matter what your field of interest, your level of education, or your level of income, your life is tremendously affected by your health. Maintaining your health is one of the most important things you can do as an individual; to enjoy what time you have on this earth. It is also one of the most important things you can do for you family. As we become an older population, and our life expectancy increases, do we want to become burdens on our children? Or do we want our time with our children in our retirement years to be something we and they have enjoyed?

There are so many things to do in life that allow us to enjoy the fruits of our labor. All of these options can be cut short if we haven’t taken the time to take care of ourselves.

Calorie, nutritional, physical, and educational needs are now information we should understand. There is massive amounts of information available to help educate and to help you make good health choices, no matter what the age group. However, we encourage you to visit a licensed medial physician (doctor). Quality of life is as important making healthy decisions to living a meaningful life:

• Education of the healthy choices we can make,
• Make the right healthy choices, and
• Living life to the fullest should be the ultimate goal of every person live.

Previous Blogs:

• Midnight Cravings
• Researching Self Care
• Vulnerability