Do you wake up feeling like it’s time to go back to bed? You’re not alone, and researchers at the Center for Human Sleep Science at UC Berkeley decided to find a way to wake up awake and refreshed. The researchers analyzed the behavior of 833 people over two weeks. The conclusion boiled down to three factors that contribute to restful sleep and waking up energized: Get plenty of exercise the day before. Sleep longer and later than usual. Eat a low-sugar breakfast that’s high in complex carbohydrates with a moderate amount of protein is one of the authors of the study’s findings. “The effect of physical activity, sleep, and breakfast was independent,” said Raphael Vallat, a sleep researcher at UC Berkeley. “These are three levers you can pull to try and maximize your vigilance.” Vallet went on to say that it’s also important to monitor the glucose response after eating. “If you have spikes in your blood sugar after breakfast, you’re going to feel sluggish and light-headed and sleepy,” he said in Your Genes. Comparisons of data between pairs of identical and dizygotic twins showed that genetics plays only a minor role in next-day alertness.
Do you wake up feeling like it’s time to go back to bed? You’re not alone, and researchers at the Center for Human Sleep Science at UC Berkeley decided to find a way to wake up awake and refreshed.
The researchers analyzed the behavior of 833 people over two weeks. The conclusion boiled down to three factors that contribute to restful sleep and waking up with ideal energy:
- Get plenty of exercise the day before
- Sleep longer and longer than usual
- Eat a low-sugar breakfast that is high in complex carbohydrates with a moderate amount of protein
KCRA 3 spoke to one of the study’s authors about the results.
“The effect of physical activity, sleep, and breakfast was independent,” said Raphael Vallat, a sleep researcher at UC Berkeley. “These are three levers you can pull to try and maximize your vigilance.”
Vallet went on to say that it’s also important to monitor the glucose response after eating.
“If you have spikes in blood sugar after breakfast, you’re going to feel sluggish, light-headed and sleepy,” he said.
The study by Vallet and sleep researcher Matthew Walker also discovered that the level of alertness you have when you wake up isn’t in your genes. Comparisons of data between pairs of identical and dizygotic twins showed that genetics plays only a minor role in next-day alertness.
