Not getting enough sleep may make you feel tired in the morning. If you are experiencing morning fatigue, making some lifestyle changes may help. Some mornings, despite getting plenty of sleep, we just can't seem to shake the feeling of sluggishness. Several of us load up on cups of coffee on tired days in an effort to perk up. Being over-caffeinated, however, can leave us feeling jittery and anxious, so perhaps there's a healthier way to fight morning fatigue.
Consider these strategies if you find it difficult to wake up in the morning:
Don’t hit snooze — at all
Once the alarm clock goes off, you lie back and sleep for a few more minutes. Does your spirit seem to have improved? In short, no. It is important to note that pressing the snooze button may cause you to oversleep or disrupt your sleep cycle. If you don’t keep yourself awake during the night, you'll not only have more time in the morning, but you won't feel tired because you slept more, and you'll be more positive throughout the day.
Energize your tired body by stretching
Make a simple posture change when your alarm goes off. This can wake you up and prevent you from hitting snooze and going back to sleep. A stretch in the morning feels so good for a reason. Overnight, during REM sleep, your muscles are literally paralyzed (atonia), and reactivating them releases energy-stimulating endorphins.
Splash your face with water
Cold showers are reported to reduce sick-day absences from work. To signal your body's temperature change, a splash of cold water to your face may also do the trick if you don't feel like taking a full shower.
Getting exposure to sunlight
Your body responds to light by becoming awake and suppressing the production of melatonin, a sleep-promoting hormone. The act of exposing yourself to light immediately after your alarm goes off can rouse you out of sleep inertia.
Brandon Peters, M. (2023, April 24). Why getting morning sunlight can help you sleep better at night. Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/morning-sunlight-exposure-3973908
Does hitting the snooze button help or hurt?. Is Hitting the Snooze Button Bad for You? (Plus, How to Stop Snoozing Your Alarm) | Houston Methodist On Health. (n.d.). https://www.houstonmethodist.org/blog/articles/2021/dec/does-hitting-the-snooze-button-help-or-hurt/#:~:text=%22The%2010%20more%20minutes%20of,throw%20off%20your%20sleep%20cycle.
Media, D. L. (2022, July 7). Is it bad to wash your face with cold water?. Epicuren Discovery. https://epicuren.com/blogs/news/is-it-bad-to-wash-your-face-with-cold-water#:~:text=Cold%20water%20shrinks%20pores%20and,feel%20more%20alert%20and%20energized.
SDSU Extension. (2022, June 30). Benefits of stretching. SDSU Extension. https://extension.sdstate.edu/benefits-stretching#:~:text=Stretching%20first%20thing%20in%20the%20morning%20can%20relieve%20any%20tension,waking%20up%20with%20more%20pain.
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