We’ve all experienced this unpleasant morning moment many times: instead of waking up feeling refreshed and ready to meet the day with a smile on your face, you moan, hit the snooze button, and try going back to sleep.
While some lucky people effortlessly rise and shine, full of energy, many of us, regardless of age, find ourselves trapped in the grip of sleep inertia—struggling to shake off the grogginess and feel focused in the morning.
If you're all too familiar with the fog of morning grogginess, don't worry! Incorporating a few simple habit changes and making mindful adjustments to your morning routine can help you beat grogginess and greet each day with more energy!
One of the worst habits many people use to prolong their sleep time is hitting the alarm clock snooze button. Enjoying a few extra minutes of sleep before waking up may seem appealing, but that's not a good idea.
An alarm often wakes us up during a REM (Rapid Eye Movement) cycle, a restorative level of sleep. Yet, few of us can regain that level once we’ve awakened, so it’s better to cultivate a habit of getting out of bed once the alarm sounds.
One way to make this easier is to change your alarm to a more soothing sound. A blaring alarm may motivate an abrupt motion to hit the snooze button. By contrast, a gentle sound might ease us into wakefulness, making the transition from sleep more gradual and less stressful.
A significant contributor to morning lethargy is poor sleep quality, which often results from a suboptimal sleep environment. Too much light, too much heat, and too much noise can all conspire to disrupt a night of otherwise restful repose and make you feel sluggish when you wake up. If you can’t change the room conditions, consider getting a fan to cool things off, a sleep mask to mimic a dark room, and foam earplugs to deaden disturbing sounds. A “white noise” machine can also muffle unwelcome sounds.
Allowing sunlight into your room is an excellent way to avoid morning grogginess and feel refreshed. Natural light halts your body’s production of melatonin, the hormone that induces sleep in the darkness of night.
You might try keeping your room curtains partially open when you go to bed so that sunlight can sneak in during the morning. It might even help you wake up without needing to set alarms. If this won’t work for you, make a habit of opening your curtains immediately after waking up, and let the sunshine help dissipate that grogginess. Another option, if you can afford it, is to install curtains with a home automation function that opens and closes window treatments on a schedule.
Many of us turn to over-the-counter (OTC) medications to help with sleep. While occasional use may not pose a problem, taking something every night might contribute to morning grogginess.
A popular remedy is the antihistamine diphenhydramine hydrochloride. This is the active ingredient in Benadryl and many OTC products marketed as sleep aids. A common side effect is daytime drowsiness. Older adults who take this regularly should also be aware that persistent use has been linked to dementia in some studies.
Another popular OTC sleep aid is melatonin. This hormone occurs naturally and helps the body prepare for sleep. While most medical sources consider it safer than diphenhydramine hydrochloride, it can still cause some people to feel groggy in the morning. Experts often advise against using sleep aids in favor of making behavioral changes that support better sleep. For example, limiting screen time before bedtime, taking warm baths, or maintaining a cool bedroom temperature have been suggested as natural ways to promote better sleep and reduce morning grogginess.
We naturally lose fluids and electrolytes during a night of sleep. Using alcohol or caffeine before bedtime can make this even worse. The result is often a headache and a feeling of sluggishness upon waking. Rather than waiting for breakfast, start pushing fluid right away. Place a full water bottle next to the bathroom sink before you go to bed, so one of the first things you do after waking up is a refreshing round of hydration.
Just as a warm bath helps you prepare for sleep, a little cold water might help you wake up. This is not to suggest anything as drastic as a freezing shower. Instead, at the end of your shower, turn the temperature dial down slightly until it's just a little less than comfortable, and then shut it off after a few moments. This can serve as a “mini” version of cryotherapy, which promotes cold water treatments to improve circulation, boost immunity, and enhance mood.
Breakfast is the most critical meal because it provides energy and supports alertness to start the day. Include protein, vegetables, or fruit in your breakfast to get the optimal nutritional value. Avoiding overly processed and packaged foods will help reduce sugar intake, which may provide temporary energy but ultimately leads to a glycemic crash, resulting in fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating.
The final thing that will help you beat morning grogginess is going to bed and getting up at regular times. A consistent sleep schedule helps establish and maintain a healthy circadian rhythm. This is the cycle that governs sleep quality and acts as the body's internal clock. When this rhythm is disrupted, a deep, restful sleep becomes elusive, and the result is not only morning grogginess but frequent daytime drowsiness.
If mornings tend to feel like a slow crawl, trying out a few of these ideas might help you feel more alert and ready to take on the day. And if you’re still feeling off even after a full night’s rest, it’s worth checking in with your doctor—just to rule out anything more serious. Small changes can go a long way, but it’s always good to get to the root of things if the fog doesn’t lift.
Keep reading - check out our post, "Start Your Day Right with These 12 Great Morning Routine Tips!"
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