Find some trees
And take a stroll among them. Scottish scientists have
evidence that taking a walk through a park recharges the brain’s batteries by
reducing brain fatigue, the ‘everything’s too much’ feeling that missing out on
sleep can intensify. The study also revealed that taking a walk on the street
or through a shopping center doesn’t produce the same result.
Scottish
scientists have evidence that taking a walk through a park recharges the
brain’s batteries by reducing brain fatigue
Top tip: Don’t use The ‘I don’t have time’ excuse: a
short, 800m walk in the park is enough to reset your brain, a distance most
people can nail in about 10 minutes.
Wizen that mid-afternoon slump hits
Chew on some gun?
It exercises your jaw and that makes your reaction times 10
per cent faster. How? Researchers have pinned down at least eight brain regions
that are stimulated when you chew a piece of gum and say the chewing action
increases blood flow to the brain.
Top tip: Boost the benefit by choosing peppermint or
cinnamon- flavored chewing gum. A different group of scientists say both scents
have an immediate, positive impact on alertness levels.
If you’ve got time for a nap
Between 2-4pm is the time to take it
It’s when your ‘need sleep’ instinct hits its peak the day
after a bad night’s sleep. It’s partly down to the body’s natural rhythm and
partly because blood glucose levels rise after lunch, a situation that affects
fatigue-related brain chemicals.
Top tip: Don’t sleep for too long. Adelaide-based
researchers say a 10-minute nap is more efficient at producing an instant
improvement in feelings of fatigue and cognitive performance than a half-hour
one.
It’s when your
‘need sleep’ instinct hits its peak the day after a bad night’s sleep.
Before you drive home
Make sure you’re not thirsty
UK researchers say hydration is the key to good reaction
times, finding they can fluctuate by up to 14 per cent depending on whether or
not you’re thirsty when you get behind the wheel.
Top tip: A small glass of water might not be enough
to do the trick. The study participants who experienced the biggest improvement
in their reaction times drank 775ml, or about three glasses of water, before
putting their skills to the test.
As soon as you get out of bed
Throw open the curtains
You need an early shot of daylight to suppress melatonin,
the hormone that kicks in to make you sleepy when it’s dark. Plus, you’ll be
setting yourself up for a better night’s sleep at the other end of the day.
Researchers in New York discovered that sleep onset at night is delayed by six minutes
for every day you miss out on exposure to daylight first thing in the morning.
Top tip: The more daylight you can expose yourself to
throughout the day, the better. A recent study showed that office workers with
desks near a window get 173 per cent more white light exposure than workers
whose desks don’t have a view, and they experience less daytime sleepiness as a
result.
You need an early
shot of daylight to suppress melatonin, the hormone that kicks in to make you
sleepy when it’s dark.
