You need to open the window<\/p>\n
The very air you breathe could be an issue. \u201cClose the door, shut the window, add a partner and a heater, and by 3am a typical bedroom sits at 1,500 to 2,500 parts per million of carbon dioxide,\u201d says Dr Jemma King, author of Sleep First: Sleep Smarter, Think Sharper, Feel Better. \u201cResearch shows<\/a> that above 1,000 ppm sleep efficiency drops, deep sleep reduces and salivary cortisol rises on waking. You\u2019re sleeping, but your nervous system is mildly activated all night.\u201d Luckily, it\u2019s an easy fix: open a window \u2013 even 2cm will do the job, according to King.<\/p>\n Your creatine stores are low<\/p>\n This supplement isn\u2019t just for bodybuilders. What we think of as \u201cenergy\u201d is a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP), produced by mitochondria. It stores and then delivers energy to cells. As you age, you have fewer mitochondria, so your body struggles to produce enough ATP.<\/p>\n Creatine can help. \u201cWhen creatine is combined with phosphagen (a compound linked to energy), you get phosphocreatine, which regenerates ATP,\u201d says Justin Roberts, professor of nutritional physiology at Anglia Ruskin University.<\/p>\n As well as older adults, research consistently shows benefits for regular exercisers, women, vegans and vegetarians (as creatine largely comes from meat and fish), says Roberts. Research shows supplementing can improve mental fatigue<\/a> and reduce fatigue during exercise<\/a>.<\/p>\n In terms of sleep, in three separate studies people taking 5g daily showed improved mood and cognitive function<\/a> after a poor night\u2019s sleep, slept for longer<\/a> and experienced improved sleep quality<\/a>. Look for micronised creatine monohydrate and take 3-5g daily to increase muscle stores of ATP over two to four weeks. You cycle creatine, so try taking it for six weeks, then come off it for two to four weeks, and repeat.<\/p>\n You\u2019re not getting outdoors enough<\/p>\n \u201cEmerging evidence suggests that exposure to daylight improves our sleep<\/a> and blood sugar control<\/a>,\u201d says Dr Brendan Gabriel, whose research at the University of Aberdeen focuses on metabolic biochemistry. It\u2019s all down to our circadian rhythms. \u201cWe have a body clock in nearly every cell in our body,\u201d says Gabriel. \u201cOne of the most important is the brain\u2019s suprachiasmatic nucleus, which is most responsive to daylight. Getting exposure to outdoor daylight helps our body distinguish between day and night, which can improve sleep quality.\u201d<\/p>\n You need to eat more fibre<\/p>\n A massive 96% of people<\/a> in the UK don\u2019t meet daily fibre recommendations of at least 30g. But a fibre-rich meal can help to slow the release of sugar into your bloodstream, giving you longer lasting, steadier energy, says Dr Emily Leeming, research fellow at King\u2019s College London and author of Fibre Power: Transform Your Energy and Feel Amazing<\/a>. She thinks we\u2019re confused and discouraged by \u201ca rather unfortunate PR run that fibre hasn\u2019t been able to shake off. We think fibre is brown stodge.\u201d<\/p>\n Time for a fibre rebrand, then. She suggests we all add \u201cthe BGBGs to our diets \u2013 beans, greens, berries, grains and seeds \u2013 and nuts. Make those the foundation of your meal, then add other things.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Small shifts, like reading, sitting in nature or cuddling a pet, can help you rest properly\u2019. Photograph: Getty Images\/iStockphotoYou sleep but you don\u2019t rest<\/p>\n Getting eight hours sleep but still exhausted? \u201cWe live in a world that equates our worth with productivity,\u201d says Zahabiyah Yamasaki, author of Protect Your Energy. She believes we need to stop rushing when we don\u2019t have to and start to \u201cmove at a slower pace, be intentional about commitments, and choose presence over productivity. That might mean closing your eyes rather than reaching for your phone, or sitting quietly looking out the window. Over time, these small shifts help make rest more accessible.\u201d So nap, listen to a podcast, stretch, read, sit in nature, turn down a plan, cuddle your pet.<\/p>\n You\u2019ve sworn off smoothies and fruit juice<\/p>\n Foggy head? A lack of polyphenols could be to blame. \u201cThese antioxidants give pigment to fruits and vegetables \u2013 the deep purple of an aubergine, the redness of a strawberry,\u201d says Leeming. We get most of ours from tea and coffee, but dark chocolate, black beans and herbs and spices are particularly concentrated sources, alongside berries.<\/p>\n Leeming points to research showing polyphenol supplements help with oxygen and nutrient delivery to the brain, improving reaction time and mental fatigue<\/a>. But you don\u2019t need to supplement, just eat the rainbow \u2013 or blitz it. \u201cA small study<\/a> gave people a 400ml smoothie containing blueberry, strawberry, raspberry and blackberry, or a placebo, and tracked them across a work day. The berry smoothie people maintained accuracy and response times throughout the day.\u201d<\/p>\n Sworn off smoothies or juice over sugar concerns? \u201cYour blood sugar going up is a very normal response,\u201d says Leeming. \u201cIt\u2019s when it stays elevated out of range for a long time that it\u2019s problematic \u2013 150ml of fruit juice is a good source of polyphenols and is one of your five a day.\u201d And include berries. \u201cBlending fruit with seeds gives less of a blood sugar response<\/a> than something like a banana.\u201d<\/p>\n You need a brain dump<\/p>\n While you sleep, your brain is putting in a shift. Dr Jemma King provides an analogy: \u201cImagine all the events that happen during the day get documented and put into a manila folder that\u2019s stacked on the desk of your personal librarian, who works through the night, deciding what to keep and what to discard. Usually this happens smoothly, but sometimes folders need the boss to decide, and you\u2019ll be woken at 3am with a burning thought that makes you feel stressed. The stress hormone cortisol has a half-life of at least 30 minutes, so if you engage with that thought, you have at least until 3.30am before your stress levels go back to a \u2018sleep-permissive\u2019 level.\u201d<\/p>\n Help your midnight librarian by spending a few minutes in the early evening creating a list of what you\u2019ll address tomorrow. \u201cBe sure to add times,\u201d says King. \u201cFor example: call Sammy\u2019s teachers at 10.30am; call my tax accountant at 11.15am.\u201d<\/p>\n You\u2019re eating too late<\/p>\n Ideally you need to clear your plate by 7.30pm, especially on steak night. \u201cProtein \u2013 particularly big chunks of meat \u2013 takes four to six hours to leave the stomach,\u201d says King. \u201cFat slows it further, while digestion raises core body temperature and draws blood toward the gut, pushing against the nocturnal cooling trend needed for deep sleep.\u201d This is why eating within three hours of bedtime decreases the quality of your sleep. \u201cYour body doesn\u2019t like digesting and repairing at the same time, and will opt to get rid of meat over replenishing maintenance.\u201d Eat heavier protein and fat at lunchtime, and build evening meals around veggies, lighter protein such as fish, chicken or tofu, and plant-based carbohydrates.<\/p>\n Your sluggish bowel is making you, well, sluggish<\/p>\n \u201cThere is two-way communication between your gut and your brain via the vagus nerve, and 80-90% of that communication goes in the direction of gut to brain,\u201d says Leeming. \u201cIf things are sluggish, that can make you feel lethargic because your gut is communicating back to your brain that things are not optimal.\u201d According to one study, there\u2019s an incredibly simple fix: eat two kiwis a day<\/a> (skins optional \u2013 the research was done without). \u201cThere are different types of fibre, and the particular type found in kiwis helps to draw water in to soften the stool and move it through.\u201d<\/p>\n You\u2019re too focused on protein<\/p>\n Protein is definitely having a moment \u2013 the UK market for it is expected to be worth \u00a3643m by 2031. But sacrificing carbs to make way for more protein could be detrimental. As sports dietitian and personal trainer Kerri Major says: \u201cIf this puts carb intake too low for someone\u2019s activity levels, it can impact energy.\u201d As a general rule, for a steady energy releasing meal, half your plate should be made up of colourful veggies, a quarter carbs and a quarter protein, alongside some healthy fats.<\/p>\n Your bed needs airing<\/p>\n