Fake A Good Night Sleep By Leslie Pepper

We’ve got some eye-opening tips to make you look and feel well-rested no matter how few zzz’s you caught last night. (And the night before, and the night before, and the night before!)

Wake up naturally
Replace your usual blaring alarm clock with one that wakes you up with soothing, gradual light. Natural light helps the body’s internal biological clock reset itself each day, keeping you energized during the day and helping you fall asleep easier tonight. Open the shades first thing in the morning too.

Take a shower
If you’ve got time to shower today, pour some citrus essential oil on the bottom of the tub, suggests Nancy Cotter, MD. When the hot water hits it, you’ll get a stimulating citrus steam bath.

Practice a balancing act.
Walk around the living room with a book poised on top of your head, suggests Stephanie Tourles, author of 365 Ways to Energize Mind, Body & Soul. Poor posture compresses your lungs, depriving the body of oxygen. Plus the book balancing may give your toddler a giggle, and what could be more refreshing than hearing your child laugh?

Color you awake!
Change out of your same old same old gray sweatpants and put on something red, yellow, or orange. “These colors stimulate emotional centers in the brain that make us feel more upbeat and cheerful,” says Tourles.

Moisturize
Slather some cream on your face to plump up fine, dry lines and reflect the light, giving your complexion a healthier appearance.

Take a big gulp
Dehydration is a major fatigue factor. Carry a 24-oz sports bottle of water in your bag or leave one on your desk at work. Your goal: To down two to three of these bottles per day.

Don’t skimp on breakfast
Oatmeal and bananas with skim milk is an easy choice. “A breakfast that contains protein and complex grains won’t cause a spike in your sugar levels, so you’ll think more clearly,” says Lauren Slayton, RD.

Take a deep breath
If your breathing is shallow your blood may be low in oxygen and high in carbon monoxide, says Dr. Cotter, making you feel groggy. Try this trick to breathe deeper: Every time the phone rings, imagine bringing your breath all the way up through your feet. “It may sound odd, but it will force you to take more full breaths throughout the day,” says Dr. Cotter.

Crank up some tunes
Put some of your kids’ music on the disc player and bust-a- move together.

Wash your face
If you’re pressed for time, simply splash cold water on your face. If you can spare a few minutes, wash with some peppermint soap, or put a few drops of peppermint essential oil on a wet washcloth and breathe in the vapors.

Exercise
It doesn’t have to be a half hour on the treadmill (okay, you can stop laughing now). As little as five minutes of aerobic exercise can bring oxygen to the muscles, making you feel more alert. Try jumping rope, a dash up and down the steps (bring the laundry basket with you) or a few minutes of neck limbering (look right and left, look up and down, make 1/2 circles to the front).

Depuff your eyes
Moisten green tea bags with water, chill them in the fridge, then set the chilled bags over your eyes. The anti-inflammatory polyphenols in the green tea combined with the cold bags will reduce swelling, says Fredric Brandt, MD.

Step away from the breadbox!
Bread is high on the glycemic index -- it enters your bloodstream the quickest and satisfies you for the least amount of time, sending your blood sugar, and you, crashing. Instead: Grab a handful of high-fiber cereal, whole grain pretzels, raw almonds, or healthy trail mix. Add protein – like organic string cheese – to keep you satisfied longer and increase dopamine production, a brain chemical that helps you stay alert. Lean protein also raises the level of tyrosine in the brain, an amino acid that helps promote alertness.

Clear some clutter
Mail piling up? Haven’t seen the top of your desk since 2008? Pick one clutter cluster to purge and see how much lighter you feel.

Fake it with makeup
To create a light and bright look for your eyes, dot some concealer under your eyes and in the inner hollows between the eye and the nose, says makeup artist Rea Ann Silva, who has worked with Jennifer Garner, Kerry Washington and Christina Aguilera. Line the inner rims of your eyes with flesh colored soft eye pencil, use an eyelash curler and apply black mascara. If you’ve got time, use a cream blush or bronzer on the apples of your cheek to give your face some color.

Chew a wad of gum
Try peppermint to stimulate your senses.

Leslie Pepper is a Merrick, NY writer specializing in health and parenting.