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Read more about our vetting process.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.
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Do you constantly press the snooze button in the morning? Sleeping for an extra five to ten minutes may seem divine. However, they can often cause morning fatigue and grogginess! Certain morning habits can help you re-energize, eliminate stress, and build focus that is commonly caused by the chaotic morning rush.
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, morning habits help to create a happier life, complete with fulfillment and maximum productivity.
Health Shots spoke to Dr Aniket Mule, consultant internal medicine, Wockhardt Hospitals Mira Road, Mumbai, in order to find some great tips which can help make the morning energetic and refreshed.
Say no to snoozing, ladies! You must avoid falling asleep again. If you do so, you will end up feeling fatigued and inactive. Try to get up and start the day immediately after the alarm rings. Also, keep your alarm away from your bed instead of keeping it next to you so that you’ll be forced to get up and move your body to turn it off.
In any case, it is a good idea to be well-hydrated. Starting your day by drinking a glass of water can help to keep your morning laziness at bay. Water will flush out the toxins from the body, which means a healthy gut and a glowing you. Dr Mule says, “If you feel fatigued in the morning, it is probably due to dehydration. Having a glass of water will freshen you up before starting the day.”
Remember to drink water at regular intervals. Image courtesy: ShutterstockSunlight, especially the one soaked in the morning, helps boost serotonin in your brain, which can give you more energy and keep you calm, positive, and focused.
Avoid being in the sun at noon, when it is at its highest point and emits the most UVB rays. It’s a tried-and-true method for getting your lazy ass out of bed.
Getting some physical activity in the morning is the best thing you can do for your health. Exercising or practicing yoga can be the body’s natural way of waking itself up after being immobile for long hours during the night. Dr Mule says, “Stretch, do yoga, or even other exercises like walking after waking up to avoid being groggy. Doing so can help you stay energized.” Try to do some form of exercise in the morning without fail.
A study published in the journal BJPsych International states that music stimulates our brain circuits and boosts both creativity and productivity. So if you really want to say bye bye to morning tiredness and laziness, listen to music, and lift your mood.
Yes, music can calm you down! Image courtesy: ShutterstockBreakfast is the most important meal of the day, and you cannot afford to skip it.
According to Dr Mule, “Skipping breakfast will leave you more tired. So, eat oats, fruits, or eggs. But, avoid high carbohydrate intake and fatigue. A low-carb breakfast would improve cognition and mood.”
Along with your healthy breakfast, make sure you add some energy-boosting foods to your morning meal. Foods such as pumpkin seeds, walnuts, dates and almonds are the best sources to get the instant energy boost. They can be your pre workout or evening snack as well.
The only thing that never worries you about waking up refreshed is your bedtime routine. A bedtime routine, on the other hand, is essential. So, sleep on time, turn off your phone an hour before bedtime, and avoid drinking coffee at night.
Get regular and ample sleep! Image courtesy: Shutterstock“Some people have a habit of smoking after waking up. Well, this can land you in trouble. It is a well-known fact that smoking is injurious to health.
It is best to avoid it and start your day with meditation instead,” says Dr Mule.
Woke up, but as if you had not slept? If you wake up tired and even broken in the morning, you need to fix it urgently. We have collected 9 working tips that will help you become alert again and wake up full of energy.
Sports are the last thing you want to do when you feel tired. But research shows that the more physical activity you have, the more energy you have. nine0003
Even short workouts will make you more alert and self-confident. And they will improve the work of the heart, lungs and muscles - and improve well-being.
Devices from the pharmacy will help track the state of the body before and after training:
Any exercise is useful in the fight against fatigue, but yoga is especially useful.
There are also several studies on this subject - for example, scientists in the UK conducted an experiment: they gathered a group of volunteers, forced them to do yoga once a week (only once!). Six weeks later, they were interviewed: everyone noted that their thoughts became clearer, and their energy and self-confidence increased. nine0003
Dehydration robs you of energy and reduces physical performance - if you don't have enough water in your body, you will get tired even with the simplest housework. Dehydration also reduces alertness and concentration.
You can tell if you are drinking enough water by the color of your urine: if it is dark, you need to drink more.
Important: you need to drink exactly water, not juices, compotes or dairy products - everything except water is perceived by the body as food, and this does not save you from dehydration. nine0003
You can also buy water in pharmacies:
The logic is simple: you get more sleep, you get less tired.
Try to go to bed before midnight and put your gadgets away at least an hour before bedtime - so their bright light does not interfere with the production of melatonin, and you can fall asleep quickly.
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Fluctuations in blood sugar affect how awake you are throughout the day - the more fluctuations, the more tired you are. To stabilize your sugar levels, you need to increase the number of meals and reduce the amount of servings.
How it works. Sugar is found in almost every product. If we eat a hearty lunch, a lot of sugar enters the body at a time, its concentration rises sharply, and the body absorbs it for a long time. Dividing a heavy meal into at least two small meals will reduce your blood sugar spike and keep you awake for longer. nine0003
Supplement your diet with vitamins for energy:
Fish contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
They improve metabolism and increase alertness - and this helps to stay alert and alert throughout the day.
If there is not enough fish in your diet, supplement your diet with supplements:
Of course, you need to reduce not the weight itself, but the percentage of fat in the body - just more often one is inseparable from the other. Scientists from Johns Hopkins University have proven that even a small reduction in body fat improves mood and makes a person more alert.
To start losing weight, experts advise reducing portion sizes, eating a balanced diet, and exercising (or at least walking more often). If you work remotely and are afraid that you won’t be able to lose weight due to sedentary work at home, read this material - in it we told you how to start losing weight even remotely. nine0003
Help in losing weight can be found in pharmacies:
Are you an owl or a lark? The answer to this question will help you not to suffer from fatigue during the day. If you are a morning person and feel energized in the morning, plan all the important things for the first half of the day. If an owl - at the end of the day.
This biological clock, or circadian rhythm, is determined by genetics and brain structure, so changing it can be very difficult. It's much easier to just adapt to them
And if you have problems with activity and fatigue even when you expect a daily energy peak, help:
Important: constant fatigue is a common symptom of many diseases. These include, for example, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and anemia. If you have been feeling uncharacteristically tired for a long time, talk to your doctor.
Certain medications can also cause fatigue, such as blood pressure medications, antihistamines, diuretics, and other medications.
If you start taking something and feel that you are getting tired faster or more often, tell your doctor about it. nine0003
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How it works: B vitamins are like a soft pillow for the nervous system. If you live in a mode of lack of sleep and stress, vitamin B (especially B6) neutralizes hysterical states, relieves anxiety and stress, and improves thought processes. It will also have a beneficial effect on blood pressure, the fluctuations of which often accompany stress. nine0003
Tension of the nervous system leads to malfunction of many body functions.
Including problems with the skin, nails, hair. B vitamins are also called “beauty vitamins”: they are able to “remove” irritation and itching, a feeling of tight skin, and have a general rejuvenating effect.
How to take: in courses, as directed by a physician. It is better to start the course in advance if you know that work, emergency work and stress are coming soon.
How it works: no need to wince! First, fish oil has long been made in capsules, which neutralizes its taste (for those who hate it since childhood). Secondly, fish oil is a unique, affordable, over-the-counter remedy that will turn you back from a “bunch of nerves” into a person.
Fish oil is obtained from cod, mackerel, herring. The “magic ingredient” in it is Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. The body is not able to produce them on its own, but they are vital to it: for normal metabolic processes, the work of the heart and blood vessels, immunity and calmness of the nervous system.
In addition, fish oil is rich in zinc, iron, phosphorus, vitamins A and D. They are our protection against stress and disorders. nine0003
How to take: daily as a prophylactic (if there are no contraindications).
How it works: ask the applicants who crowd around the building of the university on the days of the entrance exams - every second will say that his mother gives him "glycine" for the brain and nerves.
Glycine increases mental performance, eliminates depressive disorders and irritability. The tablets also contain vitamins B1, B2, and B6.
How to take: during periods of stress, work deadlines as a supportive remedy.
How it works: in the indications for the use of "Novo-Passit" it is said that he is struggling with the "manager's syndrome" - constant mental stress, the inability to distract and relax.
As part of these funds - extracts of valerian, St. John's wort, lemon balm, hawthorn. Before pills were invented, people were forced to collect and dry these herbs themselves, and then brew them and drink them as a sedative. Modern medicine has simplified this process. nine0003
How it works: The active ingredient in this drug is the hormone melatonin, which regulates sleep and wake cycles. Stress “shatters” the nervous system and often leads to problems with falling asleep: you lie in bed for hours, sorting out tomorrow’s affairs in your head. Melatonin solves this problem. At the same time, it does not inhibit the production of the natural sleep hormone. nine0003
How to take: for sleep problems - long falling asleep, restless sleep with frequent awakenings.
