When it's still pitch dark in the morning and the rain is
lapping on the bedroom window, it's twice as difficult for some
people to get out of bed during the cold months of the year.
But most people have no choice and are only making things worse
by complaining. A proper breakfast, strong light, a cold shower and
movement are ways to get the blood pumping.
Though humans do not hibernate, darkness does cause a similar
reaction that disturbs the body's natural rhythms, says Thomas
Kantermann, chronobiologist at the University of Munich.
"We need sunlight to allow our inner clock to keep time,"
Kantermann says. The clock runs slow in the absence of this
stimulus. The reason is linked to the sleep-promoting hormone
melatonin, says Ruediger Schmitt-Homm, a physiologist at the German
Green Cross, an association for promoting health.
"When it is too dark in the morning, the release of melatonin is
not stopped," he says. The first thing to do in the morning is turn
on as bright a light as possible. Keeping the lights low is
counterproductive.
A cold shower or a shower alternating hot and cold water is an
effective means of getting the circulation going in the morning,
says Schmitt-Homm.
A cold shower causes the blood vessels to contract and the blood
must then flow faster. But many people can't bring themselves to
stand under a cold shower. And actually they don't have to, says
Schmitt- Homm. It's enough to run a cold wash cloth over the face a
few times.
Breakfast plays a big role in getting the right start in the
morning. It should be hearty, but not lie heavy on the stomach.
"It can be muesli, whole wheat bread, milk, yoghurt or cheese,"
says Urte Brink of a German association of dietitians and
nutritionists in Cologne. It can be rounded off with fruit. "Above
all, vitamin C is important in the winter."
Proteins for breakfast hold longer than carbohydrates and sugar,
says Schmidt-Homm, who recommends eggs, low-fat curd cheese or
low-fat turkey instead of bread with marmalade. Muesli should be
enriched by protein-rich nuts, sunflower seeds and flax seed.
Many people also must have strong coffee in the morning. The
experts caution coffee drinkers not to consume too much caffeine
because three or four hours later the coffee drinker can experience
a low. It's better to have just one cup in the morning and another
one in the afternoon.
For a fully alert feeling in the morning, physical activity
should follow a good breakfast. Going from sitting at the kitchen
table to sitting in the car to sitting at one's desk isn't enough.
Jogging, cycling or swimming are all good options, but typically
there's no time for these activities in the morning.
Kantermann suggests getting off the bus one stop early and
walking the rest of the way to work or taking the dog for a
walk.
(Agencies via China Daily December 26, 2007)