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Answers
. First step: Input = output.
The day's just begun and your eyelids are already drooping, so naturally you reach for a cup of coffee (or maybe tea) to help wake you up and give you a vital energy boost. Perfect strategy, right? ...right?! Unfortunately things get a little bit tricky where caffeine is involved, and coffee might not actually be the brilliant saviour we'd like to believe. For some people, coffee can actually increase the feelings of fatigue and leave you feeling drowsier than ever (genetic factors also contribute to this - thanks mum and dad!). Plus, both the sugar and caffeine that are found in coffee can cause your blood sugar levels to fluctuate dramatically, ending with a significant lull in energy. So whilst the immediate effects of a latte might be a small boost, ultimately too much caffeine can leave you even more tired than before. And we've all heard the rule about not drinking coffee within three hours of going to bed (unless you enjoy staying awake all night that is!), but even if you are one of those people who is less affected by caffeine and can still fall asleep the affects of caffeine can still cause you to have a more 'broken' sleep, making you restless, easily disturbed and unable to fall into the most beneficial 'deep sleep' state.
There's no need to despair if you are a coffee lover like me though, you don't have to quit your caffeine beverage cold-turkey to ditch the drowsiness, just try changing your outlook instead: rather than using caffeine as a daily life-saver, see it as a treat to be enjoyed every now and then. This way not only will you savour the experience more, but smaller doses of caffeine are much more likely to have that positive, energising effect on the body that you were craving in the first place! Our favourite philosophy towards health and nutrition is 'everything in moderation', and despite what your tastebuds might tell you your body will do it's job just perfectly, it's pretty good at summoning up the energy you need for the day without relying on extra stimulants. So let it do what it does best and keep the caffeine for the odd indulgence. You might just find yourself feeling 110% better.
- Clever dancers should also keep in mind that caffeine is a diuretic substance (which means that it causes the body to withhold less water, making the heart pump harder in order to transport the denser blood around your body - and causing dehydration, making you extra lethargic). So be sure to take an extra bottle of H2O to class on days when you're treating yourself.
Treat yourself (but not three times a day)! ;)
. Say no to quick fixes!
Take-away and junk foods also often contain a lot of sugar or simple carbohydrates which (like caffeine) can cause a short energy 'buzz' followed by a pretty big crash due to blood sugar levels changing.
SLEEP SMARTER