Are You A Cranky Driver?
One of the things that all of us are guilty of at one time or another, is being cranky. It’s usually because we haven’t gotten our way and we’re a little miffed by that. Or, something has happened in our lives that just isn’t sitting well with us at the moment and we’re letting it affect our mood.
But, did you ever think that your crankiness can cause you to become a distracted driver? True, any emotion we carry into the car, whether it’s too glum or even to exuberant, can lead to us not paying attention while we’re behind the wheel. And we all know that a distracted driver is a dangerous one. To compound matters, we may be subject to other “inside the car” situations; screaming kids, talking adults, traffic noises, etc. Now we really have a mix of attention grabbing situations occurring all at the same time.
Michelle Craner, a licensed message therapist trained in Orthopedic, Neuromuscular, Deep Tissue and Reflexology therapy, states that a really goodnight’s sleep can rid you of that crankiness and allow you to become a more confident, controlled driver behind the wheel. Below, Michelle offers some great tips for you;
- Maintain a regular sleep/wake cycle… Remember when your parents said it was time for bed?
- Get at least 30 Min of daylight daily by being outside or in front of an open window
- Exercise moderately on a regular basis but do not exercise aerobically 4 hours before bedtime.
- Reduce stimulant intake substantially and ingest not stimulants 10 hours prior to bed
- Concentrate protein food intake 6 hours before going to meal before going to bed. Do not go to bed hungry. Eat a small snack of complex carbohydrates without sugar with some dairy product, such as yogurt, 30 minutes before bed.
- Stretch gently 1 hour before retiring. A slow rhythmic pattern is best.
- Get into the dark or soft lighting 1 hour before bedtime
- Develop a bedtime ritual that you follow consistently. Your body will begin to recognize the pattern as time to slow down and fall into sleep
- When drowsiness occurs immediately relax into sleep. The drowsiness pattern last about 15min after that your body begins a new cycle which lasts about 90 min
- If you miss the sleep window, continue with calm activities until a sense of drowsiness again occurs
- Get up at the same time regardless of when you went to bed
- Avoid long naps, stick to 15-30 min for midday fatigue
So remember, not only does it take a well maintained vehicle to keep you safe while driving, it takes a healthy and focused driver to make everything go just right.
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