This hydration schedule will help you sleep like a baby

This hydration schedule will help you sleep like a babyThis hydration schedule will help you sleep like a babyDo you frequently feel sluggish and irritated for no good reason when you wake up in the morning, instead of feeling rested and refreshed?You might be part of theone in three Americanswho have at least mild insomnia. Often, we blame our inability to get a good nights sleep on late-night technology use, work stress, or on our next door neighborsdog who wont stop barking. But did you know that elend drinking enough water, and leidlage drinking it at the right time throughout the day, could actually be whats robbing you of quality shut-eye?According to the National Sleep Foundation, going to bed even mildly dehydrated can disrupt your sleep and even cause snoring and hoarseness in the morning (another good reason to force your S.O. to drink more water). Luckily,experts have identifiedan optimal hydration schedule that you can follow to ensure youre drinking enough water througho ut the day so that you can sleep like a baby when the time comes. Here are the guidelines you need to follow to maintain a near-perfect level of hydration throughout the day.1. Wake-and-hydrateDo you frequently feel sluggish and irritated for no good reason when you wake up in the morning, instead of feeling rested and refreshed?You might be part of the one in three Americans who have at least mild insomnia. Often, we blame our inability to get a good nights sleep on late-night technology use, work stress, or on our next door neighbors dog who wont stop barking. But did you know that not drinking enough water, and not drinking it at the right time throughout the day, could actually be whats robbing you of quality shut-eye?According to the National Sleep Foundation, going to bed even mildly dehydrated can disrupt your sleep and even cause snoring and hoarseness in the morning (another good reason to force your S.O. to drink more water). Luckily, experts have identified an optimal hyd ration schedule that you can follow to ensure youre drinking enough water throughout the day so that you can sleep like a baby when the time comes. Here are the guidelines you need to follow to maintain a near-perfect level of hydration throughout the day.2. If possible, wait two to three hours after you wake up to drink your coffeeWe know, youll probably hate us for saying this, but for optimal hydration,experts recommendthat you should wait two to three hours after you wake to drink coffee. Coffee is a slight diuretic, meaning that drinking it increases your need to pee. So having coffee right when you wake up and youre already dehydrated from eight-ish hours of no liquids, will work against you in the hydration department. If you work out in the morning, opt for drinking water instead of coffee when you wake up and when youre at the gym. Wait to drink caffeine until after your workout. The endorphin rush youll get from sweating it out will be enough to wake you up. The reward of having a morning coffee once you finish your HIIT sesh might be just what you need to help you get through it.3. Make sure youre drinking water with all of your mealsTheres an old-time myth circulating that drinking water during meals will dilute your stomach acid, making it harder for your body to absorb nutrients. This simply isnt true. Drinking water during meals actually helps your body in digestion, becauseit helps your stomach liquefy foodand absorb nutrients. Consuming H2O with food could also help prevent constipation bykeeping your digestive tract lubricated,making it easier for the turds to slide down when the time comes (we hope that youre not eating while reading this). Drinking water while you eat could keep you from overeating because it forces you to take breaks from shoveling food into your mouth, and will give you some time to check in with your stomach to see if it really needs more food or if its just being greedy.4. Eat plenty of foods with a high water contentIf you just cant get yourself to drink water and you restrict your daily fluid intake to caffeinated beverages and fruit juices, eating foods with a high water content is crucial for you to maintain an appropriate level of hydration. Many veggies and fruits have a high H2O content, including watermelon (great for the summer), strawberries, cucumbers, celery, oranges, spinach, and cantaloupe. The good news is that all of these foods are also highly nutritious and will supply your daily dose of vitamins along with good hydration. Although eating these foods can help those who hate water increase their fluid intake, drinking water is stillthe most effective and healthy way to keep hydrated.5. Avoid drinking caffeine for a period of 6 hours before going to bedAs sleepy as you may feel when 3 p.m. rolls around, try as hard as you can to resist the urge to bestattungs a cup of coffee or other caffeinated beverages to help you power through.Studies have foundthat drinking caffeine during a p eriod of six hours before going to bed will make it harder for you to fall and stay asleep. If you really crave the taste of your favorite cup of joe, opt for a decaffeinated version instead. You can also use other methods, like a brisk walk or aquick round of high-energy squats by your desk,to help renew your energy.6. Drink one glass of water right before bedYou might have heard that drinking before bed will cause you to have to pee throughout the night, so its best to avoid it. Although you shouldnt necessarilyguzzle a huge bottle of water before hitting the sack, drinking a small glass of it will do you no harm. Hydrating before going to bed will actually help you avoid waking up due to thirst or uncomfortable leg cramps (caused by dehydration) throughout the night.This article was originally published on Swirled.com.This hydration schedule will help you sleep like a babyDo you frequently feel sluggish and irritated for no good reason when you wake up in the morning, instead of feeling rested and refreshed?You might be part of theone in three Americanswho have at least mild insomnia. Often, we blame our inability to get a good nights sleep on late-night technology use, work stress, or on our next door neighborsdog who wont stop barking. But did you know that not drinking enough water, and not drinking it at the right time throughout the day, could actually be whats robbing you of quality shut-eye?According to the National Sleep Foundation, going to bed even mildly dehydrated can disrupt your sleep and even cause snoring and hoarseness in the morning (another good reason to force your S.O. to drink more water). Luckily,experts have identifiedan optimal hydration schedule that you can follow to ensure youre drinking enough water throughout the day so that you can sleep like a baby when the time comes. Here are the guidelines you need to follow to maintain a near-perfect level of hydration throughout the day.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more1. Wake-and-hydrateDo you frequently feel sluggish and irritated for no good reason when you wake up in the morning, instead of feeling rested and refreshed?You might be part of the one in three Americans who have at least mild insomnia. Often, we blame our inability to get a good nights sleep on late-night technology use, work stress, or on our next door neighbors dog who wont stop barking. But did you know that not drinking enough water, and not drinking it at the right time throughout the day, could actually be whats robbing you of quality shut-eye?According to the National Sleep Foundation, going to bed even mildly dehydrated can disrupt your sleep and even cause snoring and hoarseness in the morning (another good reason to force your S.O. to drink more water). Luckily, experts have identified an optimal hydration schedule that you can follow to ensure youre drinking enough water throughout t he day so that you can sleep like a baby when the time comes. Here are the guidelines you need to follow to maintain a near-perfect level of hydration throughout the day.2. If possible, wait two to three hours after you wake up to drink your coffeeWe know, youll probably hate us for saying this, but for optimal hydration,experts recommendthat you should wait two to three hours after you wake to drink coffee. Coffee is a slight diuretic, meaning that drinking it increases your need to pee. So having coffee right when you wake up and youre already dehydrated from eight-ish hours of no liquids, will work against you in the hydration department. If you work out in the morning, opt for drinking water instead of coffee when you wake up and when youre at the gym. Wait to drink caffeine until after your workout. The endorphin rush youll get from sweating it out will be enough to wake you up. The reward of having a morning coffee once you finish your HIIT sesh might be just what you need to help you get through it.3. Make sure youre drinking water with all of your mealsTheres an old-time myth circulating that drinking water during meals will dilute your stomach acid, making it harder for your body to absorb nutrients. This simply isnt true. Drinking water during meals actually helps your body in digestion, becauseit helps your stomach liquefy foodand absorb nutrients. Consuming H2O with food could also help prevent constipation bykeeping your digestive tract lubricated,making it easier for the turds to slide down when the time comes (we hope that youre not eating while reading this). Drinking water while you eat could keep you from overeating because it forces you to take breaks from shoveling food into your mouth, and will give you some time to check in with your stomach to see if it really needs more food or if its just being greedy.4. Eat plenty of foods with a high water contentIf you just cant get yourself to drink water and you restrict your daily fluid intake to caffeinated beverages and fruit juices, eating foods with a high water content is crucial for you to maintain an appropriate level of hydration. Many veggies and fruits have a high H2O content, including watermelon (great for the summer), strawberries, cucumbers, celery, oranges, spinach, and cantaloupe. The good news is that all of these foods are also highly nutritious and will supply your daily dose of vitamins along with good hydration. Although eating these foods can help those who hate water increase their fluid intake, drinking water is stillthe most effective and healthy way to keep hydrated.5. Avoid drinking caffeine for a period of 6 hours before going to bedAs sleepy as you may feel when 3 p.m. rolls around, try as hard as you can to resist the urge to grab a cup of coffee or other caffeinated beverages to help you power through.Studies have foundthat drinking caffeine during a period of six hours before going to bed will make it harder for you to fall and stay asleep. I f you really crave the taste of your favorite cup of joe, opt for a decaffeinated version instead. You can also use other methods, like a brisk walk or aquick round of high-energy squats by your desk,to help renew your energy.6. Drink one glass of water right before bedYou might have heard that drinking before bed will cause you to have to pee throughout the night, so its best to avoid it. Although you shouldnt necessarilyguzzle a huge bottle of water before hitting the sack, drinking a small glass of it will do you no harm. Hydrating before going to bed will actually help you avoid waking up due to thirst or uncomfortable leg cramps (caused by dehydration) throughout the night.This article was originally published on Swirled.com.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistak es you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people