I have never been good about consuming enough water.
I grew up with a water well & especially hard water.
Because of this, I never got in the habit of drinking water as a kid. I don’t enjoy the taste of water. If I get thirsty, I would prefer to get a glass of iced tea, orange juice, lemonade or even hot tea. My hydration habits have resulted in some problematic side effects as I’ve entered my fifties. I frequently wake up in the morning with a killer headache. If I don’t start drinking water right away, the headache graduates into a severe migraine. I have no choice but to return to bed, shut the lights off & use either hot or cold compresses. I can even suffer chills, fever & nausea because of dehydration. I have actually passed out a few times. I’ve recently started to deal with cramping in my calves and thighs during the night. There’s no chance to sleep through the cramps. They are horribly painful. I googled & found that once again, this is caused by not enough water intake. I workout every day & my training sessions are rigorous. The high impact aerobics creates a lot of strain on my joints & muscles. I sweat considerably. While I sip water during the workout, it’s not sufficient. I am hoping to be more conscientious about how much water I take in throughout the day. I’ve begun filling a water bottle and drinking it as soon as I wake up in the morning. It’s awful. However, it eliminates the headaches. I’ve also started carrying a bottle with me as I go about my day. I make an effort to sip from it every few minutes. Although the leg cramps haven’t entirely disappeared, they are not happening as often and are less severe.