You hear the alarm ring and slowly your senses awaken, you lift your hand and plop it around trying to silence the alarm clock, or your phone, whichever one is making all that ruckus. Then suddenly the horror dawns on you, it’s Monday and you have to go to work. You’ll have to face the jam, the endless piles of files, that angry client, the grumpy boss, the cramped office, deadlines and that coffee machine that always breaks down. At one point or another in our lives, we’ve all experienced what is popularly called the ‘Monday Blues’.

Despite how hard it seems, it is completely possible for you to beat the Monday blues by having a healthy sleeping pattern and lifestyle. Here’s how you can catch up on your beauty sleep on the weekends and awake feeling refreshed on Monday morning:

Don’t owe weekend sleep debt



Make sure you sleep at least 7-8 hours on the weekends rather than staying up playing video games or going to the mamak. If possible, throughout the week, get adequate sleep too. Researchers have found that regularly sleeping less or more than 7-8 hours has negative effects on our health, including an increased risk of diseases like heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and others.

Hit the ‘snooze’ button on weekends



Since you don’t have to work, feel free to sleep in for one or two hours more on the weekends or better yet, don’t set your alarm at all and just let your body wake up normally.

Have naps on the weekends



To give your body that extra boost and to repay some sleep debt, you can opt to have a short nap of not more than 20 minutes on Saturday or Sunday. However, you should maintain good sleep hygiene by not sleeping more than 20 minutes and do it before 2pm.

Go for a walk after breakfast



Going for a mid-morning walk after breakfast in your neighbourhood or nearby park is a great way to get exercise and refresh your senses to make you feel more alive and awake. This practice will also train your body to be more active for the weekday.

Let some sun in



Opening the curtains and letting the sun shine in the first thing after waking up will help the body shed that lethargic, sleepy feeling. This is because sunlight helps the body produce melatonin, a hormone that encourages relaxation and fights anxiety and depression. Sunlight is also important for Vitamin D production, which helps in fighting cancer, strengthening the immune system, decrease asthma, build stronger teeth and bone, and many more.

Limit your alcohol intake



If you usually go for drinks on the weekends, make sure you cut it down to a minimum because alcohol can interfere with good quality sleep.

Don’t Drink Coffee after 2pm on Sunday



Coffee is rich in caffeine which can stimulate the brain to a state of wakefulness. Drinking coffee early in the morning can make you more awake, but if you consume it later in the day, you may find yourself lying awake at night staring at the ceiling.