It’s 2 a.m. and you’re saddled up on the couch binge watching Hallmark movies. You’re wide awake for no reason at all; or maybe you just can’t stop thinking about your to-do list. Whatever the reason, come 7 a.m. you feel like you’ve been hit by a truck. Your mouth is dry, you’re fatigued, annoyed and wondering how in the world you’re going to get through the day ahead. But experts contend that a few easy tips can make recovering from a sleepless night much less painful.
Neurologist and sleep medicine physician Jeffrey Drumer says when we’re awake for too long, the body collects an excess of adenosine, a neurochemical found in the cerebrospinal fluid in the brain and spinal cord that activates the body’s sleep systems once it reaches a certain concentration. When we fall asleep normally, the adenosine is reabsorbed into the body. But when we haven’t slept ...
