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When waking up is hard to do, consider the following strategies.
We’ve all had those mornings when we just can’t shake a feeling of sluggishness, even when we’ve technically gotten enough sleep. In an effort to perk up on tired days, many of us load up on cup after cup of coffee.
But over-caffeinating can leave us jittery and anxious (not to mention perpetually running to the bathroom).
Perhaps there’s a better way to banish morning fatigue and get on with your day with the energy you need.
That beloved button on top of your alarm clock may not be so helpful after all.
Spending the last half hour or so of nighttime rest in what researchers call “fragmented sleep” has consequences for your ability to function throughout the day.
Pro-tip: Try the 90-minute sleep cycle hack by setting two alarms — one for 90 minutes before you want to wake up and one for when you actually want to wake up.
The theory is that the 90 minutes of sleep you get between snoozes will be a full sleep cycle, allowing you to wake up after your REM state, instead of during.
Fatigue is a classic symptom of dehydration, and even a mild case can trigger feelings of sleepiness, changes in cognitive ability, and mood disruptions. Let a glass of water freshen up your entire body before you get moving.
Pro-tip: If you find you still can’t shake morning lethargy, try upping your intake of water and other noncaffeinated beverages throughout the day.
There’s a reason it feels so good to stretch when you wake up. Overnight, during REM sleep, your muscles are literally paralyzed (atonia), and reactivating them releases energy-stimulating endorphins.
Pro-tip: If you have a bit of time for morning yoga, take it; just 25 minutes has been shown to boost energy levels and brain function.
Cold showers are reported to reduce sick-day absences from work.
If you don’t want to take a full shower, a splash of cold water to the face, to signal a temperature change to your body, may also do the trick.
Is getting out of bed the main problem? Keep a spray bottle or water mist by your bedside table so you can lean over and mist yourself without even opening your eyes!
Pro-tip: One cult-favorite product is Saborino’s Morning Face Mask from Japan, which has essential oils to activate your senses. In one minute, this sheet mask cleanses, invigorates, and moisturizes your skin.
Note: People with sensitive skin may want to avoid this product.
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The jury is still out on whether breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But research does say that skipping this first meal can negatively affect your energy and ability to pay attention throughout the day.
Food is fuel. Give your body some calories to put it into action at the start of the day.
But if you’re working out in the morning, remember to eat after, not before.
This will (a) burn more calories, (b) boost your metabolism, and (c) help you avoid an unsettled stomach.
Pro tip: Build a fatigue-fighting breakfast instead.Since what you eat at breakfast can affect how you feel for hours, making the right choice is critical for your morning.
Reach for a combination of fatigue-fighting foods like lean proteins, whole grains, nuts, and lower-sugar fruits.
All breakfasts are not created equal, so take stock of your morning food choices. Sugary items like sweetened coffee drinks, pastries, and breakfast cereals can lead to the classic blood sugar spike-and-drop that leaves you feeling drained.
Pro-tip: Pay attention to nutrition labels to see how much sugar you’re getting at breakfast — and cut back wherever possible. Keep whole foods like apples, carrots, and oranges on hand for easy access.
That’s right, we said less coffee — but not none! Though coffee has plenty of health benefits, chugging a lot in the morning may indirectly contribute to increased fatigue later in the day.
Participants in one study reported feeling more tired the day after they had consumed caffeinated drinks. Experimenting with a reduced amount of caffeine in the morning actually may make you less tired.
Pro-tip: Avoid the big mugs. Purchase a smaller cup, if you have to, to help reduce the amount you drink.
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Sunlight bumps up your body’s serotonin levels, leading to improved sleep — and, therefore, increased daytime energy. And, according to a series of studies at the University of Rochester, spending time in nature “makes people feel more alive.”
Sounds like a very good reason to carve out a portion of your morning in the great outdoors.
Pro-tip: If going outside is a chore in the early morning, adjust your curtain so that the sunlight seeps in when you’re getting ready to wake up.
Sure, when you want to crawl back into bed, exercise may sound pretty unappealing — but it may be exactly what your body needs to get help booting up.
Research consistently correlates aerobic exercise with reduced fatigue.
See if you can squeeze in a quick walk or bike ride, or try a longer workout for even more benefit.
Pro-tip: When pressed for time, get your body up with a few rounds of high-knees and jumping jacks. Even 30 seconds of torso twists could do the trick, or plan a short cardio commute on your way to work.
Is it possible that negative feelings about your job or stressors at home are draining you of morning oomph?
You may not be able to fix certain situations overnight, but once you’ve identified them as a source of mental and physical exhaustion, you can often take some action to alleviate them.
Pro-tip: Streamline harried mornings at home by making school lunches the night before, or make time for morning meditations and create calm before your day begins.
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Sometimes all we need for an energy boost is a little excitement on the horizon.
To beat morning fatigue, consider scheduling a phone call with a friend during your commute, penciling in an outdoor walk on your midmorning break, or pre-making an appealing breakfast that calls you out of bed.
Pro-tip: Let another schedule determine yours. Make an earlier morning podcast or radio show part of your wake-up routine.
If morning fatigue becomes a chronic problem, it could be caused by depression or anxiety. People with depression can feel worse in the morning or only feel depressed in the morning.
The only way to know, however, is to track your mood or see a professional.
Pro-tip: Dig a little deeper. Asking some key questions about your mental health state may reveal an underlying condition that needs professional attention.
If your bedtime habits can have so profound an effect on your rest, so too could your waking routine. You’ve probably heard of sleep hygiene — the handful of best practices that help you fall asleep at night.
These include:
Getting up at the same time each morning helps maintain circadian rhythm, the internal biological clock that’s responsible for feelings of sleepiness.
Make an effort to rise at the same time every day — even on weekends — to see if you can banish the midmorning slump.
Sarah Garone, NDTR, is a nutritionist, freelance health writer, and food blogger. She lives with her husband and three children in Mesa, Arizona. Find her sharing down-to-earth health and nutrition info and (mostly) healthy recipes at A Love Letter to Food.
We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here’s our process.
It’s not unusual to wake up feeling a bit groggy.
For many people, it’s nothing a cup of coffee or shower can’t fix.
But if you regularly wake up tired, especially if you continue to feel fatigued throughout the day, there may be something else going on.
Here’s a look at some common causes of waking up tired.
Chances are, your morning grogginess is just sleep inertia, which is a normal part of the waking process. Your brain typically doesn’t instantly wake up after sleeping. It transitions gradually to a wakeful state.
During this transition period, you may feel groggy or disoriented. If you aren’t careful, you can easily fall back asleep.
Sleep inertia slows down your motor and cognitive skills, which is why it sometimes feels impossible to do anything right after you wake up.
Sleep inertia can last anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour, though it typically improves within 15 to 60 minutes.
If within the first few hours of falling asleep, you suddenly wake up from a deep sleep and are in a confused state, you may have sleep drunkenness.
Also called confusional arousals, sleep drunkenness is a sleep disorder that bypasses the inertia phase. An episode may last for up to 30 to 40 minutes. You may not even remember it occurred when you wake up to start the day.
You’re more likely to experience symptoms of sleep inertia or sleep drunkenness when you:
Sleep inertia can also be worsened by shift work sleep disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, and certain types of circadian rhythm sleep disorder.
what you can doSleep inertia is a natural part of waking up, but you can limit its effects by:
- regularly getting a full night’s sleep
- limiting naps to less than 30 minutes
- drinking coffee or another caffeinated beverage when you get up
If your symptoms persist, visit your primary healthcare provider. They can rule out an underlying sleep disorder.
Blue light is any artificial lighting that emits blue wavelengths, which aren’t necessarily a bad thing. During daylight hours, they can boost alertness and mood. But this isn’t the vibe you’re going for when you’re heading off to bed.
Energy-efficient lighting and electronic screens have increased our exposure to blue light, especially after sundown.
Blue light, more than other types of light, suppresses the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate your body’s circadian rhythm, which is your sleep-wake cycle. This makes it harder for you to get good-quality sleep, which can leave you feeling tired the next morning.
what you can doTo reduce the impact of blue light on your sleep:
- Avoid screen time for two or three hours before you go to bed.
- Use dim red lights at night, which don’t have as powerful of a melatonin-suppressing effect on your circadian rhythm.
- Expose yourself to a lot of bright light during the day.
- Use blue-blocking glasses at night or an app that filters blue light if you have to use electronics at night.
A poor sleep environment can have a big impact on the quality of your sleep.
If your morning fatigue is accompanied by stiffness or aching body parts, your mattress could be to blame.
Research shows that a medium-firm mattress is best. The age of your mattress also matters. A small 2009 study found that participants reported better sleep quality and fewer aches and pains in the morning after sleeping on a new mattress.
Mattresses are also home to common allergens — such as dust mites, which can cause nighttime sneezing and coughing, especially in people with allergies and asthma.
Shop all expert-verified mattresses in our sleep shop to work toward your best snooze possible.
What you can doMake sure your mattress isn’t hurting your sleep quality by:
- replacing your mattress every 9 or 10 years, ideally with a medium-firm mattress
- using a hypoallergenic mattress cover if you have allergies
Being too hot or too cold can cause restlessness and make it hard for you to fall or stay asleep.
Personal preference should play a role in your bedroom’s temperature, but a cooler room is better when it comes to a comfortable sleep, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
If you still have trouble sleeping, warming your feet by wearing socks may help dilate blood vessels and adjust your internal thermostat.
A 2007 study shows that adults who wore unheated or heated socks to bed were able to fall asleep faster.
Shop all Healthline-approved products for hot sleepers in our sleep shop.
what you can doCreate the optimal temperature for quality sleep by:
- keeping your bedroom between 60°F and 67°F (16°C and 19°C)
- wearing socks to bed or placing a hot water bottle at your feet
- choosing appropriate sleepwear and bedding for your local climate
Even if you’re the type of person who can fall asleep with the TV on, noise can still have a big impact on your sleep quality.
Reducing background noise can help to increase the amount of deep sleep you get each night and decrease the number of times you wake up during the night.
What you can doEven if you can’t get rid of the source of noise, you can try:
- sleeping with earplugs
- using a sound machine, which you can find on Amazon
- keeping your windows and bedroom door closed
What you consume before bed can keep you up at night and make you feel tired in the morning.
Caffeine is a natural stimulant that promotes alertness.
Having too much caffeine during the day or having it too close to bedtime can:
Coffee, chocolate, and certain teas and soft drinks all contain caffeine. Caffeine can also be found in certain medications, including some prescription and over-the-counter pain-relieving medications.
WHAT YOU CAN DOTo keep caffeine from interfering with your sleep:
- Avoid having caffeine three to seven hours before bed.
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- Limit your intake of coffee or other caffeinated beverages to one or two servings a day.
- Check medications for caffeine content.
Alcohol has been shown to have a sedative effect and make you sleepy, but it doesn’t lead to a good sleep. According to the Cleveland Clinic, alcohol increases the number of times you wake up once the relaxing effect wears off and prevents you from getting deep sleep.
The more alcohol you consume before bed, the more it disrupts your sleep, increasing your likelihood of waking up tired.
what you can doYou can prevent alcohol from affecting your sleep by:
- avoiding drinking alcohol in the evening
- limiting your alcohol consumption to no more than one drink a day for women and two drinks for men
Drinking too much of anything too close to bedtime can make you frequently get up to urinate throughout the night.
This can also happen in certain situations if you’re retaining a lot of fluid.
Excessive urination at night, also called nocturia, may also be a sign of an underlying medical condition. If you continue to wake up two or more times per night to urinate after limiting how much you drink before bed, speak to your doctor.
what you can doYou can reduce how often you get up to urinate by:
- avoiding drinking liquids for at least two hours before bedtime
- cutting back on caffeine and alcohol-containing beverages
- wearing compression socks during the day if you have swollen ankles and legs or certain states of water retention
If nothing seems to be helping your morning grogginess, you may have an undiagnosed sleep disorder.
Sleep disorders require diagnosis and treatment by a healthcare professional, who’ll likely have you come in for a sleep study.
Sleep movement disorders are conditions that cause movement before or during sleep, making it hard to fall or stay asleep.
Some common sleep movement disorders are:
Sleep apnea, usually obstructive sleep apnea, is a serious sleep disorder that causes your breathing to stop periodically in your sleep. You may not even realize you have the condition.
Other signs and symptoms of sleep apnea include:
Shop all Healthline-approved products for snoring & sleep apnea in our sleep shop.
Insomnia involves having a hard time falling asleep or waking up too early and not being able to go back to sleep. Short-term insomnia is very common and often caused by stress, a traumatic event, or sleeping in unfamiliar surroundings, such as a hotel room.
Insomnia that lasts a month or more is considered chronic insomnia. This can be a condition itself or a symptom of an underlying issue.
Along with waking up tired, insomnia can also cause:
Waking up tired can often be remedied with a few changes to your sleeping habits and cutting back on caffeine or alcohol. If nothing seems to be helping, it’s best to follow up with your doctor to check for underlying conditions.
Gazeta.Ru found out what needs to be done to change from an owl to a lark in just nine steps.
Canadian scientist Carolyn Shur conducted a study and found that there are only 15% of larks in the world, while owls - 25%. The rest of the people are somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, but still lean closer to owls than to larks.
Despite being a minority, the larks have established a terrible dictatorship in the world and make everyone else get up as early as they do. To kindergarten, to school, to work - in the morning, at dawn. Larks don't give a damn about the fact that owls, that is, most people on earth, have a hard time getting up early. Larks think that owls are lazy (there is also a lot of research ).
It is especially interesting that, unlike larks, owls, it turns out, are more calm about the fact that people are different, and these unpleasant larks get so tired by ten in the evening that they usually do not do anything. Owls are more tolerant. Nevertheless, life is arranged in such a way that it is easier for larks in it. Therefore, there are two types of owls.
Some have adopted their own biological clock and assert their right to get up later and work more efficiently in the late afternoon. But there are other owls - owls who worry that they cannot jump out of bed voluntarily, before dawn and in a great mood. They envy larks and dream of retraining. And despite the fact that the fact remains: are you an owl or a lark, it is determined by genetics (there are also numerous research ) and there's not much to do about it, there are still ways to make your life a little easier in the morning if you're a night owl.
Step 1
Before you start adjusting, you need to improve your sleep in general. With a very high probability, you have been sleep deprived for many years, mainly due to the fact that you have the Internet at home (admit it). An adult should sleep about eight hours a day. There are those who need less, but they would do well to try to sleep for eight hours: they would be very surprised at how much better they would feel during the day.
Larks, by the way, are very fond of making an argument about our ancestors, who got up to plow with the sun. But there is a caveat: these same peasants slept an average of nine hours a day. A modern person sleeps an average of six.
Step 2
No screens before bed. The last thing most of us see before falling asleep is a TV or computer monitor. Meanwhile, it has been proven that this is how we fall asleep excited and later than planned. An hour before going to bed, turn it all off, spend time with loved ones, read a book, listen to music.
Step 3
The whole process will take several weeks and should not be rushed. As well as it is impossible to make sudden movements. If you think that just starting to set your alarm two hours earlier is enough and everything will work out by itself, you can try, but you are doomed to failure: you can hold out for a couple of weeks, but you will not feel good about it. So, in order to rebuild without stress and stay a morning person for more than a couple of weeks, everything needs to be done slowly.
Step 4
It is necessary to minimize the possible causes of morning stress. The morning should be calm. For example, start preparing the clothes you will wear tomorrow in the evening. In the evening, decide what you will eat for breakfast. Write yourself a list of morning tasks in the order in which you can do them more effectively. So you can minimize the time that you spend in the mornings rushing around the apartment in one sock with a toothbrush in your mouth. Less stress in the morning - less anticipation of morning stress before you go to bed.
Step 5
Do you remember when you were a child, voluntarily and without help, jumping up earlier than usual if something pleasant was waiting for you? For example, on your birthday, when the earlier you get up, the earlier you will receive gifts. Or maybe dad promised to take you fishing? This trick, although not as effective, works with adults as well. Getting up is easier when you are waiting for what will happen in the morning.
We will not give you long lectures, you yourself know that it is easier to get up to your favorite job than to your unloved one. But you can approach the issue not so globally. You don't have to change jobs right away. Start with something nice for yourself. Maybe you like to drink cappuccino in the morning, but usually there is not enough time to brew it in the morning. Or a bubble bath instead of a shower - anything that you can promise yourself in the evening: I’ll get up early and have time ... (insert a pleasant action for yourself). A good motivator, by the way, may be that if you get up before the rest of the family, you will have an extra half hour to yourself.
Step 6
Once you've gotten your sleep back on track and are now sleeping eight hours a day (or at least seven, let's be realistic), you'll probably notice that getting up is much easier for you. Now you can move on to the next step. We set the alarm clock 20 minutes earlier than usual. This is the maximum time it is recommended to shift the rise time at a time.
After that, nothing can be changed for at least a week. That is, it will take at least three weeks to start getting up an hour earlier.
Step 7
As soon as the alarm goes off, try to start moving right away. This will speed up blood circulation, breathing, heartbeat, and you will come to your senses faster. It's best to get up right away, not allowing yourself to wallow in bed, checking your mail from your phone.
Step 8
Don't try to sleep in on the weekend. If you get enough sleep during the week, start setting your alarm for exactly the same time on the weekends too. Your task is to start getting up at the same time every day. After two or three months, you will not need an alarm clock at all: you will wake up calmly without it. It is important not to break this regimen and not allow yourself to wallow in bed simply because it is a day off and you are not in a hurry to go anywhere. Get up and take a bath, and then have a leisurely breakfast.
Step 9
Natural light and fresh air help you wake up faster and feel better. And with both in Russia in the morning it is difficult, especially in winter. That is why it is best to start rebuilding into a lark in the summer: you can sleep with an open window. When you get up and open the curtains, the room will become light and sunny. It is also recommended to replace a dim kitchen lamp with bright fluorescent lights to fool the body in the early morning.
January 22, 2017ProductivityHealth
Just four steps will help you wake up easily and feel alert all day.
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0You can not only read this article, but also listen to it. If it's more convenient for you, turn on the podcast.
To decide the best time to get up, you need to take into account your daily routine and responsibilities (work, study, family, hobbies, travel). For example, it will be very difficult for you to get up at five in the morning if you work at night or stay up late with textbooks.
When you have decided on the time, pay attention to the following four points:
1. Goals and attitude towards life.
2. Evening ritual.
3. Sleep quality.
4. Awakening and morning ritual.
They will help you get up in the morning without difficulty. Let's consider each item separately.
One must be prepared that at first one will have to sacrifice a lot. For a while, you will have to give up parties. Until the body adjusts, you will be more tired, and your productivity may drop. To cope with this was easier, you need to have clear goals.
Why is this important?
For example:
Determine for yourself three main goals for the next year and write down a system of actions for each.
To wake up in the morning easily and comfortably, you need to prepare in advance in the evening. Here are some tips.
The light from the screens of smartphones, tablets and computers adversely affects the quality of sleep and the speed of falling asleep. Therefore, turn off all devices 1-2 hours before going to bed.
Make plans for the next day in the evening so that you don't waste time and energy on it in the morning.
Decide what to do, what to wear, what to cook.
Time flies by imperceptibly, and if you don't stop and think about the most important things, you can miss a lot. Therefore, in the evening, evaluate what you did during the day, for which you are grateful, what made you happy.
Now everyone has such a busy schedule that it is very difficult to find time for reading. But if you turn off all electronic devices a couple of hours before bedtime, you will surely have at least 30 minutes for a good book.
We usually don't think about what affects the quality of our sleep and how we can improve it. But you should always remember the following factors.
This loads the digestive system and also affects the quality of sleep. Snack on something light like nuts or a glass of milk. 
Of course, you will not be able to immediately determine the right sleep time for yourself to the nearest minute, but you will definitely find the best option. There are two ways to help you get up earlier. Choose the one that suits you best.
Yes, this approach will take more time, but it will be easier for the body to adapt. Once you've decided on the approach that works best for you, try to follow these guidelines as well:
This trick will help keep you motivated. Of course, this is individual, but here are a few suggestions:
Sometimes you may not wake up early, but don't feel bad about it. Be glad that you slept a little longer, and then go about your usual business.
And tomorrow, put in more effort.
It all depends on you. But when you're just trying to get into the habit of getting up earlier, it's best to stick to your new routine on weekends as well. When you are already confident in your abilities, you can pamper yourself by sleeping a little longer.
When you first begin to accustom yourself to a new routine, do not miss more than 1-2 days, otherwise it will be very difficult for you to return to early rises. If you have been getting up early for more than a month, missing 2-3 days will not be so scary.
Don't be too hard on yourself. Try to stick to the routine. If you can't, just do your thing as planned.
Great. Have fun and don't try to wake up at the same time as usual. Get some sleep and go back to your routine tomorrow.
