You were in bed for eight hours. Yet, you’re still feeling tired and groggy when you wake up. Sometimes, this feeling even carries into your day. Here are some ways you can feel more awake as you go through your day.
Why You Still Feel Tired After Eight Hours of Sleep
Before getting into how to feel more awake, it’s important to understand why you might still feel tired after lying in bed for eight hours. Drinking, your bedtime routine and even your mattress can play a role in the quality of your rest. Quality is the key—it doesn’t matter if you’re in bed for eight hours if your brain and body aren’t recovering while you’re sleeping.
Your body needs deep sleep and REM sleep so that you can wake up feeling recovered. These sleep cycles are when your mind and body recharges. If you’re not spending enough time in restorative sleep, you’re going to wake up feeling tired. It doesn’t matter how long you spend in bed.
What to Avoid Before Bed for Restorative Sleep
To get better sleep, there are some things you should avoid, especially right before bed. Alcohol is one of them. Alcohol makes it difficult for your body to get into restorative sleep cycles and it increases your resting heart rate while you’re sleeping.
Caffeine should be avoided late in the afternoon as well. The later you drink caffeine, and the more you drink of it, the more likely it’s going to affect your sleep.
Also avoid blue light devices before bed. That means taking some time off your phone and away from the TV before you go to sleep. If you can’t avoid it, wear blue light blocking glasses.
How to Feel More Awake
Now that you know how to keep your sleep from being disrupted, it’s time to think about how to feel more awake on a groggy morning. Just what does awake mean? It means you have energy in the morning and you’re ready to take on the day. You don’t feel like staying in bed because you’re excited about what the day is going to bring you.
Depression and Stress
Of course, depression, anxiety and stress may be contributing factors if you find yourself dragging in the morning. It’s hard to face the day if you feel like you don’t have anything to look forward to and are dreading what the hours awake will bring. If you’re feeling this way, consult a doctor and know you’re not alone.
Caffeine and Sunshine
If you’re not feeling depressed, little changes to your routine can help you feel more awake. Caffeine and sunshine are two examples. Pour yourself a morning cup of coffee and head outside for a walk in the sunshine. Not only will the caffeine give you an extra jolt of energy, but moving your body will increase your heart rate and help you feel more awake.
Sunlight is also a signal to your body that it’s time to wake up. Even just sitting outside for a few minutes can help, if you don’t have time for a walk. If it’s dark when you wake or just an overcast morning, consider a sun lamp. These small lamps create the healthy rays from the sun, give you vitamin D and leave you feeling more energized as you take on the day.
Get Your Cardio In
As mentioned, a walk can be really beneficial to help make you feel more awake. The same goes for cardio. Getting in your exercise in the morning can leave you feeling energized as you take on the day.
If you typically workout after work, consider changing your routine so that you’re exercising in the morning. Or, add in some extra cardio by going for a short jog. You can also consider walking or biking to work, so you’re exercising with added purpose.
Whether it’s changing up your pre-sleep routine, or making changes to your morning routine, there are many ways that you can improve the quality of your sleep and have more energy in the morning.
