Why do you feel groggy in the morning. How can you overcome sleep inertia. What role does sleep debt play in morning fatigue. How does your circadian rhythm affect wakefulness. Can diet and exercise impact your ability to wake up. Are there medical conditions that make waking up difficult. What strategies can help you wake up more easily.

Understanding Sleep Inertia: The Science Behind Morning Grogginess

Ever wondered why you feel like you can’t wake up in the morning, even after a full night’s sleep? The culprit is likely sleep inertia, a natural phenomenon that affects everyone to some degree. Sleep inertia is characterized by feelings of grogginess, disorientation, and reduced mental performance immediately after waking up.

How long does sleep inertia typically last? The duration can vary significantly from person to person, ranging from about 15 minutes to over two hours. Interestingly, research has shown that the performance impairment caused by sleep inertia can be as severe as or worse than 40 hours of sleep deprivation.

The Impact of Sleep Inertia on Cognitive Performance

Dr. Jamie Zeitzer, co-director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences at Stanford University, conducted real-world research on sleep inertia. His findings revealed that people’s cognitive performance, measured through keystroke speed and click interactions on a search engine, was significantly lower during the first two hours after waking.

Is there a way to overcome sleep inertia more quickly? While you can’t completely eliminate it, there are strategies to help shake off the grogginess faster:

• Expose yourself to sunlight upon waking
• Have a cup of coffee
• Engage in light exercise

It’s worth noting that night owls may experience more intense sleep inertia compared to early birds. One study found that early risers typically overcame sleep inertia in 10 to 20 minutes, while night owls required about 30 minutes.

The Role of Sleep Debt in Morning Fatigue

Sleep debt, the cumulative effect of not getting enough sleep over time, can significantly impact your ability to wake up in the morning. But how exactly does sleep debt affect your morning routine?

When you consistently get less sleep than your body needs, you accumulate sleep debt. This debt can exacerbate sleep inertia, making it feel more intense and last longer. Moreover, it can lead to persistent low energy throughout the day, not just during the initial waking period.

Understanding Your Unique Sleep Need

How much sleep do you really need? The answer varies from person to person. A study of 1.95 million RISE app users aged 24 and up revealed that individual sleep needs ranged from 5 hours to 11 hours and 30 minutes per night. Surprisingly, 48% of users needed 8 hours or more sleep each night.

To wake up feeling refreshed, it’s crucial to understand and meet your personal sleep need. Tools like the RISE app can help you determine your unique sleep requirement and track whether you’re accumulating sleep debt.

Circadian Rhythm and Its Impact on Wakefulness

Your circadian rhythm, often referred to as your body’s internal clock, plays a vital role in regulating your sleep-wake cycle. But how does it affect your ability to wake up in the morning?

The circadian rhythm influences various physiological processes, including hormone production, body temperature, and alertness levels. When you’re in sync with your natural circadian rhythm, waking up becomes easier as your body anticipates the transition from sleep to wakefulness.

Disruptions to Circadian Rhythm

Several factors can disrupt your circadian rhythm, making it harder to wake up:

1. Irregular sleep schedules
2. Jet lag
3. Shift work
4. Excessive exposure to blue light before bedtime

How can you align your sleep schedule with your circadian rhythm? Maintaining a consistent sleep-wake schedule, even on weekends, can help regulate your body’s internal clock. Additionally, exposure to natural light during the day and limiting blue light exposure in the evening can reinforce your circadian rhythm.

The Impact of Diet and Exercise on Morning Alertness

Your lifestyle choices, particularly regarding diet and exercise, can significantly influence your ability to wake up in the morning. But how exactly do these factors affect your morning alertness?

A balanced diet rich in nutrients supports overall health and can contribute to better sleep quality. Certain foods and drinks, however, can interfere with your sleep when consumed close to bedtime:

• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Heavy, spicy, or fatty meals

Regular exercise has been shown to improve sleep quality and duration. However, the timing of your workouts matters. Vigorous exercise too close to bedtime can make it harder to fall asleep, potentially leading to difficulties waking up the next morning.

Optimizing Your Diet and Exercise Routine for Better Sleep

To improve your chances of waking up easily, consider the following tips:

1. Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening
2. Limit alcohol consumption, especially before bed
3. Eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
4. Exercise regularly, but finish intense workouts at least 2-3 hours before bedtime
5. Stay hydrated throughout the day, but reduce fluid intake close to bedtime to minimize nighttime awakenings

Medical Conditions That Can Affect Waking Up

While lifestyle factors play a significant role in your ability to wake up, certain medical conditions can also make mornings particularly challenging. Understanding these conditions can help you identify potential underlying issues and seek appropriate treatment.

Sleep Disorders

Several sleep disorders can interfere with your ability to wake up refreshed:

• Sleep Apnea: This condition causes brief interruptions in breathing during sleep, leading to poor sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness.
• Narcolepsy: A neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to regulate sleep-wake cycles, often resulting in excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden sleep attacks.
• Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome: A circadian rhythm disorder where the sleep-wake cycle is significantly delayed, making it difficult to fall asleep and wake up at conventional times.

Mental Health Conditions

Mental health issues can also impact sleep quality and morning alertness:

• Depression: Often associated with changes in sleep patterns, including difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early.
• Anxiety: Can lead to racing thoughts at night, making it hard to fall asleep and subsequently challenging to wake up.

Other Medical Conditions

Various other health issues can affect sleep and waking:

• Thyroid disorders
• Chronic pain conditions
• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic fatigue syndrome

If you consistently struggle to wake up despite implementing good sleep hygiene practices, it’s advisable to consult with a healthcare professional. They can help identify any underlying medical conditions and recommend appropriate treatments.

Strategies to Wake Up More Easily

Struggling to leave your warm, cozy bed in the morning is a common experience. However, there are several strategies you can employ to make the transition from sleep to wakefulness smoother and more manageable.

Optimize Your Sleep Environment

Creating an ideal sleep environment can significantly improve your sleep quality and make waking up easier. Consider the following:

• Temperature: Keep your bedroom cool, ideally between 60-67°F (15-19°C).
• Darkness: Use blackout curtains or an eye mask to block out light.
• Noise: Minimize disruptive sounds with earplugs or a white noise machine.
• Comfort: Invest in a supportive mattress and comfortable bedding.

Establish a Consistent Sleep Schedule

Maintaining a regular sleep-wake schedule, even on weekends, can help regulate your body’s internal clock. This consistency makes it easier for your body to anticipate when it’s time to wake up.

Gradual Wake-Up Techniques

Instead of jarring yourself awake with a loud alarm, consider these gentler alternatives:

1. Use a sunrise alarm clock that gradually increases light in your room.
2. Try a smart alarm app that wakes you during a lighter sleep stage.
3. Set multiple alarms with increasing volume to ease into wakefulness.

Morning Routine for Alertness

Developing a morning routine can signal to your body that it’s time to be alert. Try incorporating these elements:

• Expose yourself to bright light immediately upon waking.
• Do some light stretching or yoga to get your blood flowing.
• Hydrate with a glass of water to combat overnight dehydration.
• Engage in a mentally stimulating activity, like reading or puzzles.

Leveraging Technology for Better Sleep and Easier Mornings

In our modern age, technology can be both a hindrance and a help when it comes to sleep. While excessive screen time before bed can interfere with sleep quality, certain technological tools can actually aid in improving your sleep patterns and making mornings more manageable.

Sleep Tracking Apps

Sleep tracking apps, like RISE, can provide valuable insights into your sleep patterns. These apps can:

• Calculate your unique sleep need
• Track your sleep debt
• Predict your daily energy levels
• Estimate the duration of your morning grogginess

By understanding these factors, you can make informed decisions about your sleep schedule and daily activities, potentially making it easier to wake up in the morning.

Smart Home Devices

Smart home technology can be programmed to support your wake-up routine:

1. Smart lights can be set to gradually brighten your room, mimicking a natural sunrise.
2. Smart thermostats can adjust the temperature to help you wake up more comfortably.
3. Smart speakers can be programmed to play soothing sounds or your favorite music as a gentle wake-up call.

Wearable Sleep Technology

Wearable devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers often include sleep tracking features. These can provide data on:

• Sleep duration
• Sleep stages
• Heart rate variability during sleep
• Movement during sleep

This information can help you identify patterns and make adjustments to improve your sleep quality, potentially leading to easier mornings.

Blue Light Filtering Apps and Devices

Exposure to blue light from screens in the evening can disrupt your circadian rhythm. Consider using:

• Blue light filtering apps on your devices
• Blue light blocking glasses in the evening
• Screen-free time before bed

By reducing blue light exposure in the evening, you may find it easier to fall asleep at an appropriate time and wake up more refreshed.

While technology can be a valuable tool in improving your sleep and wake patterns, it’s important to remember that it should supplement, not replace, good sleep hygiene practices. The most effective approach often combines technology with lifestyle adjustments and consistent sleep habits.

7 Reasons You Can’t Wake Up and How to Fix Them

Waking up with some degree of grogginess is normal. But if you struggle to wake up, or battle sleepiness all morning long, there could be a few culprits to blame. 

And before you start spiraling, not all of them are medical conditions, and many of them can be fixed.

Below, we’ll dive into the reasons you can’t wake up and how to fix them. Plus, we’ll share how the RISE app can help you get enough sleep each night to make waking up easier to do.

Advice from a sleep doctor:

We asked our sleep advisor and medical reviewer, Dr. Chester Wu, who’s double board certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine, why people may find they can’t get up.

“You might feel like you can’t wake up because you’re sleep deprived and need more sleep overall. Try heading to bed a little earlier and see if it improves your mornings.”

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Why can’t I wake up in the morning?

How to wake up more easily?

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Why Can’t I Wake Up in the Morning?

Struggling to leave your bed in the morning? Here’s what could be at play.  

1. Sleep Inertia 

The RISE app can predict how long morning grogginess will last.

It’s natural to feel like you can’t wake up at first. This is due to sleep inertia. 

Sleep inertia is the groggy feeling you get right after waking up. It happens even when you’ve had enough sleep, and it can last anywhere from 15 minutes to more than two hours. 

Symptoms of sleep inertia include: 

• Sleepiness
• Disorientation or brain fog
• Lowered mental performance 

Sleep inertia doesn’t just leave you feeling like you can’t wake up, your mental performance takes a hit, too. A 2019 paper said the performance impairment from sleep inertia is the same as or worse than 40 hours of sleep deprivation. 

One of our sleep advisors is Dr. Jamie Zeitzer, the co-director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences at Stanford University. He completed real-world research into sleep inertia and found people’s cognitive performance (measured through the speed of keystrokes and click interactions on a search engine) was lower during the first two hours after waking.  

Once sleep inertia faded, people’s performance was at its best and then slowly got worse until they’d been awake for about 16 hours — usually the time people head to bed. 

Here’s Dr. Zeitzer’s best advice for overcoming sleep inertia: 

Sleep inertia can make it feel like you can’t wake up, even when you’ve had enough sleep. Try getting out in sunlight, having a cup of coffee, and getting some exercise to shake off the grogginess faster.

You can’t escape sleep inertia altogether, but getting enough sleep overall will make it feel more manageable in the long run. Although, if you lost out on sleep recently and then slept for longer than usual — known as recovery sleep — you may feel more sleep inertia at first.

Want to beat sleep inertia at its own game? RISE can predict how long your sleep inertia is expected to last each morning. We call this your “grogginess zone.” With a rough idea of timings, you can schedule your day to match. 

For example, try doing easy tasks during your grogginess zone — like a morning routine, household chores, or admin — and schedule hard tasks, like a work report, for when sleep inertia has passed. Try giving yourself about 90 minutes in the morning before you have to be “on.”

Expert tip: Sleep inertia may hit you harder if you’re a night owl. One study found it took early birds 10 to 20 minutes to get over sleep inertia, whereas it took about 30 minutes for night owls. If you’re a later riser, give yourself more time in the morning before you need to be “on.” 

RISE users on iOS 1.202 and above can click here to see their upcoming energy peaks and dips on the Energy screen.

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2. Sleep Debt 

Sleep debt is the measure of how much sleep you owe your body. It’s compared against your sleep need, the genetically determined amount of sleep you need. 

If you need eight hours of sleep each night, but you’ve only been getting six hours recently, you’ll have built up sleep debt. 

Sleep debt can make sleep inertia feel worse and last longer. And it can lead to low energy all day long, not just when you first wake up.  

What we know about sleep need: When we looked at the sleep needs of 1.95 million RISE users aged 24 and up, we found they ranged from five hours to 11 hours 30 minutes. The median sleep need was eight hours, but a surprising 48% of users need eight hours or more sleep a night. 

The RISE app can work out how much sleep you need.

See once and for all if you’re getting enough sleep each night. RISE can work out your unique sleep need and whether you’ve got any sleep debt. 

RISE users on iOS 1.202 and above can click here to view their sleep need and here to view their sleep debt. 

3. Being Out of Sync With Your Circadian Rhythm 

Your circadian rhythm is your body’s internal clock. It helps to control your sleep cycle and when you feel sleepy and alert over a roughly 24-hour cycle.  

You can get out of sync with your circadian rhythm, and this can make it hard to wake up. 

You might be out of sync with your circadian rhythm if: 

• You work night shifts or do rotating shift work 
• You’ve got social jet lag — or an irregular sleep schedule (which about 87% of adults do)
• You’re at odds with your chronotype — like a night owl on an early schedule 

Your energy levels naturally fluctuate as part of your circadian rhythm over about 24 hours. If you wake up during a low point, you’ll feel more tired than usual and may struggle to wake up. And if you wake up during deep sleep (which can happen if your sleep schedule is irregular), you may feel groggier, too. 

As well as your energy levels, the stress hormone cortisol fluctuates as part of your circadian rhythm. When everything’s running smoothly, your body produces cortisol in the morning to give you an energizing boost and help wake you up. 

But if you’re out of sync with your circadian rhythm, this can happen at the wrong time, meaning waking up will feel harder.  

This may all sound like a lot, but RISE can predict your circadian rhythm each day and show you a simple visualization. The app will show you when your body naturally wants to wake up and go to sleep. You can then try to stay in sync with these times to make mornings easier. 

Expert tip: If the times your body wants to sleep and wake up don’t match your lifestyle or work schedule, you can reset your circadian rhythm and shift the timings earlier or later. RISE’s smart schedule feature can suggest a daily bedtime that gently shifts to train your body to get enough sleep at the right times for you. 

RISE users on iOS 1.202 and above can click here to see their circadian rhythm on the Energy screen.

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4. Stress and Anxiety 

Too stressed and anxious to sleep? You’re not alone. Among RISE users, stress and anxiety are the most common barriers to a good night’s sleep. Users say they struggle to fall and stay asleep because of them. 

And as we’ve covered, if you’re struggling to sleep at night, it’s going to be harder to get up the next day.

The link between anxiety and sleep goes the other way, too. Research shows if you don’t get enough sleep, your anxiety levels can go up. So you can find yourself in a vicious circle of more anxiety, more sleep loss, and more trouble waking up.

Want to break the cycle? We’ve covered tips on how to sleep with anxiety here.

Try this tonight: Psychological or cyclic sighing, which includes long exhales, can help to reduce anxiety and improve mood. A 2023 study co-authored by our advisor Dr. Jamie Zeitzer found five minutes of psychological sighing may be all it takes. 

We’ve covered how to do this breathing exercise here.

5. Mental Health Conditions 

Mental health conditions can make it hard to sleep. A 2020 study found those with anxiety disorders often have sleep problems like nighttime awakenings or shortened sleep, more light sleep, and less deep sleep. 

To make matters worse, mental health conditions like depression can rob you of motivation, meaning you may struggle to get out of bed, even when you’ve had enough sleep. And mental health issues often come with daytime sleepiness as a symptom. 

Mental health issues that can make it hard to wake up include: 

• Depression
• Anxiety 
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 
• Bipolar disorder 
• Seasonal affective disorder 

6. Sleep Disorders 

Sleep disorders can make it hard to get enough sleep each night. With this lack of sleep, you can easily build up sleep debt, and this can make you feel like you can’t wake up in the morning. 

These include: 

• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Insomnia 
• Restless leg syndrome 
• Periodic limb movements disorder 
• Narcolepsy 
• Hypersomnia (research shows those with hypersomnia feel a more severe form of sleep inertia known as sleep drunkenness)
• Circadian rhythm sleep disorders like delayed sleep phase disorder 

Heads-up: When you try to wake up but can’t, you’re likely experiencing sleep paralysis. This is when you’re conscious but unable to move any part of your body as your muscles are temporarily paralyzed. While sleep paralysis isn’t dangerous, it can create a lot of anxiety and distress that impact sleep, even after the episode. Keep your sleep debt and anxiety low, and stay in sync with your circadian rhythm, to reduce how often sleep paralysis happens. 

7.

Medical Conditions 

Medical conditions can either make it hard to get the sleep you need or cause morning fatigue as a symptom. 

These include: 

• Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) 
• Iron deficiency anemia
• Heart disease 
• Chronic fatigue 
• Diabetes
• Arthritis 
• High blood pressure 

While not medical conditions, pregnancy, menopause, and your period could be a female-specific reason you can’t wake up. Fluctuating hormones, mood changes, and pain can cause you to build up sleep debt and get out of sync with your circadian rhythm. We’ve covered more reasons for female fatigue here.

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How to Wake Up More Easily?

The RISE app can guide you through 20+ sleep hygiene habits.

Here’s how you can have more energy in the morning to make waking up easier: 

• Keep a regular sleep schedule: This will keep your circadian rhythm in check. And research shows those with a regular sleep routine feel more alert than those who don’t, even if they get the same amount of sleep.  
• Resist the snooze button: While keeping your regular sleep pattern, don’t hit the snooze button. A 2022 sleep study found hitting snooze on your alarm clock prolongs sleep inertia compared to using a single alarm. RISE’s alarm feature can help if you’re a serial snoozer. When you turn the alarm off, RISE will send you straight to your favorite app for 15 minutes of guilt-free phone time. This will help you wake up slowly and get you through your initial sleep inertia without hitting snooze. 
• Use the right alarm sounds: Research from 2020 shows melodic sounds as an alarm can help to reduce sleep inertia. You can choose from melodic sounds, your choice of music, and watch and phone vibrations with RISE’s alarm.
• Lower your sleep debt: Check RISE to see how much sleep debt you have and try lowering it to make waking up easier. You can lower your sleep debt by going to bed a little earlier, sleeping in a little later, and taking afternoon naps.
• Do some morning exercise: As hard as it can be to exercise when you feel like you can’t wake up, physical activity can help to shake off sleep inertia faster. One study found even 30 seconds of exercise can help. Exercise throughout the day can also help you wake up the next morning. A 2022 study found the more daytime physical activity people did, the more alert they felt the next morning. 
• Get out in sunlight: Bright light exposure in the morning resets your circadian rhythm for the day and suppresses the sleep hormone melatonin. This will help wake you up in the morning and make it easier to fall asleep that night, making the next morning even easier. Aim to get 10 minutes of natural light as soon as possible after waking up. Make this 15 to 20 minutes if it’s overcast or you’re getting light through a window. 
• Enjoy a cup of coffee: Caffeine can temporarily block the sleepiness chemical adenosine from working in your brain. It can also boost serotonin, improving your mood. Enjoy coffee in the morning, and then cut yourself off in the afternoon to make sure it doesn’t keep you up. RISE can tell you exactly when to stop drinking coffee. 
• Eat a complex carb-rich breakfast: A 2022 study found a breakfast rich in carbohydrates that are slowly digested and absorbed was linked to higher morning alertness, whereas a high-protein breakfast was linked to lower alertness. Opt for whole grains and fruits as part of your breakfast.
• Have a morning routine you look forward to: This could include having a cup of coffee, going for a walk with a podcast, or meditating in the garden. Try to include sleep-boosting behaviors like getting out in sunlight and exercising. Having a morning routine you enjoy can help when mental health issues make it hard to leave your bed. Remember to do easy tasks while sleep inertia is causing early morning drowsiness, and save hard tasks for when sleep inertia passes.
• Having a relaxing bedtime routine: This will help you slow down for sleep and drift off more easily. Try reading, doing yoga, or journaling before bed. 
• Speak to a healthcare professional: Get medical advice if you think a health problem, sleep disorder, or mental health issue could be the reason you can’t wake up. A doctor or sleep specialist can recommend the best treatment options to help, such as medication, lifestyle changes, or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

We’ve covered more tips to make getting out of bed easier here.

RISE can tell you when to do many of these sleep habits each day as part of something known as sleep hygiene, so you don’t need to keep track of them all. 

RISE users on iOS 1.202 and above can click here to set up their 20+ in-app habit notifications. 

The RISE app’s Smart Alarm can help you wake up more easily.

Make Waking Up Easier Each Day

If you can’t wake up, you might be battling sleep inertia. Sleep debt and being out of sync with your circadian rhythm can also contribute to low energy in the morning — and all day long. And anxiety, mental health issues, sleep disorders, and medical conditions could also be behind your low energy. 

To make waking up easier, turn to the RISE app. RISE can tell you how much sleep debt you have, so you can see if you need to lower it, and it can predict your circadian rhythm each day, so you can work to stay in sync. 

The good news? Lowering your sleep debt and getting in sync with your body clock will boost everything from your morning energy to your productivity and overall health and wellness. 

And as 80% of RISE users get better sleep and more energy within five days, you could be waking up easier within the week. 

8 Tips to Train Yourself to Wake Up in the Morning

If your constant use of the snooze button and your morning zombie routine is getting old, there’s help. It begins with figuring out the different reasons why you can’t wake up in the morning and what to do about them.

Chances are you’re not getting enough sleep and need to tweak your bedtime routine. If a sleep disorder or other underlying condition is to blame for your morning sleepiness, there are treatments available.

We’ll cover all of that and more here so you can become one of those perky morning people.

Difficulty getting up in the morning isn’t just about loving your sleep and hating mornings. Lifestyle factors, medical conditions, and medications can make it hard to wake up. These include:

• parasomnias, such as sleepwalking, sleep talking, and night terrors
• sleep apnea, which causes periods of stopped breathing during sleep
• sleep deficiency, which can involve not getting good quality sleep, or sleep deprivation, which is not getting enough sleep
• stress and anxiety, which can interfere with your ability to fall asleep or stay asleep
• depression, which has been linked to excessive daytime sleepiness and insomnia
• circadian rhythm sleep disorders, which can prevent you from developing a regular sleep routine, such as shift work sleep disorder and irregular sleep-wake disorder
• certain medications, including beta blockers, certain muscle relaxants, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants
• chronic pain, which can make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep

There are a number of things you can do to help you wake up. If an underlying condition is causing your excessive sleepiness or drowsiness in the morning, you may need a combination of home remedies and medical treatment.

The following are tips and treatments that can help you sleep better and wake up better.

Get on a sleep schedule

Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day is a must if you want to get on a good sleep schedule and train yourself to wake up early.

Figure out how much sleep you need — seven to nine hours per night is recommended — and aim to get to bed early enough so you wake up feeling refreshed.

Stick to your sleep schedule every day, including your days off, and your body will eventually begin waking up naturally.

Improve your bedtime routine

You may be sabotaging your efforts to get up early without even realizing it. Drinking caffeine in the later part of the day and using devices that emit blue light before bed can prevent you from falling asleep.

To improve your bedtime routine, try doing something relaxing before bed, such as reading or taking a warm bath. Avoid activities that’ve been shown to interfere with your circadian rhythm and cause sleeplessness, including:

• looking at screens, like your laptop or phone
• drinking caffeine within six hours before bedtime
• napping or spending too much time in bed during the day
• drinking alcohol before bed

Move your alarm to avoid hitting snooze

Tempting as that snooze button and getting “just a few more minutes” may be, falling back asleep after waking is sleep fragmentation.

According to research, sleep fragmentation increases daytime sleepiness and grogginess, decreases performance, and makes you feel run-down.

If you’re accustomed to hitting snooze, try moving your alarm away from your bed so you have to get up to turn it off.

Eat better

Eating a healthy diet increases your energy and helps you sleep better. On the flip side, foods that are generally considered unhealthy can make you feel sluggish and zap your energy.

Aim for a well-balanced diet full of foods that increase your energy, like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and foods high in omega-3 fatty acids.

Get regular exercise

Exercise has been proven to improve sleep and conditions that can cause insomnia and excessive sleepiness, such as anxiety and depression.

It also increases energy levels by reducing fatigue, including in people with conditions associated with chronic fatigue, according to research.

Enjoy the daylight

Daylight helps regulate your circadian rhythms and improve your sleep.

If you get some sun first thing in the morning, it can help boost your mood and energy levels for the rest of the day. Try opening your blinds as soon as you get up, having your coffee outside, or going for a short walk.

You could also try sleeping with your blinds open so you wake up to sunshine — that is, as long as it’s not too bright outside your bedroom window at night.

Gloomy day? No worries. Just turn on the lights or use a light-up alarm clock.

Get a sleep study

If you can’t get up in the mornings after trying other methods or have noticed sleep disorder warning signs, talk to a doctor about a referral to a sleep specialist.

Participating in a sleep study can help diagnose a sleep disorder that may be to blame for your morning fatigue.

Treat a sleep disorder

If you’re diagnosed with a sleep disorder, such as chronic insomnia or restless leg syndrome (RLS), treatment can help you sleep and wake up better. Treatment depends on the specific sleep disorder and might include:

• prescription drugs, such as sleep aids or medication for RLS
• melatonin
• a breathing device for obstructive sleep apnea
• behavioral therapy
• surgery for obstructive sleep apnea

Having trouble waking up in the morning is just one sign you’re not getting enough sleep. Here are some others:

• excessive yawning
• irritability
• lack of motivation
• fatigue
• excessive daytime sleepiness
• brain fog
• increased appetite

It’s possible to train yourself to wake up on time in the morning. A few changes to your routine can help you get rid of your morning fatigue so you can be up and at ’em bright and early.

If you worry that you have a sleep disorder or other medical condition that may be contributing to your morning fatigue, see a doctor.

Can’t get out of bed? You may have disania

October 30, 2018

Image Credit, Getty Images

You may not think there are many reasons to get out of bed. It’s warm in there, it’s cold outside, and you can get rid of the problem by simply pressing the “Stop” button on your alarm clock.

On October 28, the clock was moved back one hour again. Leaving your cocoon has become even more difficult, as this moment marks the beginning of winter and means that in just a few weeks you will have to wake up when it is still dark outside.

• Changing the clock: what doctors advise
• Is it worth accustoming yourself to wake up early?

But what if the problem is much more serious and you find it difficult to get out of bed at all, and not just during such periods? There is a special word for this: disania.

“The term dysania is sometimes used to describe the experience called ‘I don’t want to get out of bed today’,” says Dr. Mark Selter of the Royal College of Psychiatry. from depressive disorders,” he adds.

Dysnia, which has not yet been officially recognized as a disease, is not only an increased feeling of drowsiness. This is a chronic inability to get out of bed.

Such “sick people” can stay in bed for several days: the mere thought of getting up already causes them anxiety. Many admit that they experience a “passionate desire” to get back into bed – they just have to try to get out of it.

It is important to know that you are unlikely to ever be diagnosed with dysnia on its own. This is usually a symptom that indicates possible depression or chronic fatigue syndrome.

To understand if someone you know is suffering from dysania or klinomania – a similar term that describes the desire to stay in bed all day – Dr. Selter advises first to make sure that such people are doing well with physical well-being.

Image copyright Getty Images

After that, he will ask the patient what exactly is bothering him. Such a conversation may end with a diagnosis of depression. It is this that often causes a range of effects that manifest themselves in physical well-being, says Selter.

“Sleep disturbances, lethargy, early awakenings are all physical signs of depression,” he adds. a glass of water.”

If there are no other symptoms, this may mean that such people are simply afraid to get out of bed. In this case, it is not the same as disania.

If you’re not sure if your sleepiness is normal, try changing your habits.

First, try to keep track of how much sleep you get. Most adults need 6-9 hours of sleep. Feeling relaxed is also key – try taking a bath or doing some yoga asanas, for example.

Keep distracting objects, such as phones and laptops, away from you. And finally, if all this does not help, you can try to have sex – unlike all other types of physical activity, this will definitely increase your drowsiness.

If this is not enough and your inability to wake up is causing you stress and anxiety, you should see a doctor.

Of course, you can justify everything as simple laziness, but you can’t be sure until you check it.

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Causes and symptoms of disturbed sleep patterns

Most people experience some kind of sleep problem from time to time. But when these problems become a familiar part of everyday life, this is already a serious reason to think and turn to a specialist.

Sleep is one of the health indicators. People who do not suffer from any disease usually sleep well, while those who experience recurring or persistent sleep problems are more likely to have psychological or physical impairments that can be either minor or serious.

It is worth even one day to sleep badly – and this affects the mood, performance, stress resistance. And when the problem is repeated or ignored, it can lead to a serious deterioration in the functioning of the whole organism, reduced productivity and stress.

Insomnia, for example, can, if not cause, then exacerbate asthenic and depressive states, anxiety mental disorders.

Long-term sleep disturbances lead to a persistent increase in the production of the hormone cortisol, which puts the body in a state of constant stress and tension. As a result, metabolism is disturbed, hormonal imbalance occurs.

22.02.2019

To understand whether sleep disorders are the body’s response to difficult life situations or other external factors, or whether they serve as a marker of more serious diseases, the following survey will help:

● Do you feel very sleepy during the day?
● Do you have excessive irritability?
● Do you find it difficult to stay awake if you watch TV, read, work at the computer, or simply sit in one position?
● Do you find it difficult to drive a car because you feel tired and your reactions are slow?
● Do you have difficulty concentrating?
● Do you hear from others that you look tired?
● Do you observe a slow reaction?
● Do you find it difficult to manage your emotions?
● Can’t sleep for hours?
● Do you have to use caffeine or other energy drinks to keep yourself going?

If you answered yes to at least one question, most likely you have a sleep disorder that needs to be corrected.

Sleep disorders occur at any age

When do sleep disorders become a problem?

● Difficulty falling asleep in the evening, inability to fall asleep after waking up at night.
● Frequent awakening during the night, shallow, interrupted sleep.
● Sleepiness and poor performance during the day.
● The need to take some action to get yourself to sleep (drink sleeping pills, achieve perfect silence, take a bath, etc.).

If a person usually wakes up in the early morning hours, from about 3 to 5 am, feels unreasonable anxiety and cannot fall asleep, this condition may accompany the onset of depression or neurosis, so it is necessary to consult a neurologist for advice.

When insomnia is not a symptom of an illness, in most cases it can be managed with lifestyle changes, without medication.

Insomnia

Night terrors interfere with proper rest

Symptoms of insomnia: 9 0126

Apnea

disease, a marker of depression. Also, nightmares can occur while taking certain medications, including antidepressants, watching horror movies and excessive computer games.

One of the most common sleep disorders is insomnia. It can be caused by lack of physical activity, jet lag, medications, high caffeinated drinks in the diet, watching TV, or being in front of a computer or smartphone screen before bed. Or it can be a symptom of any disease – both mental and physical.

This disorder is characterized by a temporary cessation of breathing caused by the blockage of the upper airways, which leads to frequent awakening. As a result, a person feels irritability, exhaustion, a decrease in labor productivity, often depression joins this state.

The causes of sleep apnea may be congenital weakness of the muscles of the palate and pharynx, smoking, alcohol abuse, excess weight, insufficiently high pillow.

Apnea symptoms:

● Chronic snoring.
● Feeling of suffocation while sleeping.
● Frequent pauses in breathing during sleep.
● A person who wakes up in the middle of the night feels short of breath, dry throat, headache or chest pain, nasal congestion.
● Sleepiness during the day, feeling overwhelmed Photo of how many hours you slept.

Sleep apnea is a potentially life-threatening sleep disorder that can nevertheless be successfully treated.

Restless legs syndrome

Manifested as an inability to fall asleep due to an irresistible desire to move the limbs: often the legs, although sometimes the arms. No matter how a person lies down, he feels uncomfortable and wants to change his position.

The causes of this syndrome can be both hereditary and caused by neurological or somatic diseases, including diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, uremia, anemia, deficiency of certain vitamins and trace elements.

Restless legs syndrome symptoms:

● Unpleasant sensations in the muscles that make you want to move your legs, lie down more comfortably: tingling, pain, feeling of heaviness. Sensations subside during movement or massage.
● When sleep does occur, it is interrupted or accompanied by twitching of the limbs.

Narcolepsy

This sleep disorder occurs due to brain dysfunction, resulting in impaired control of sleep and wakefulness, reduced synthesis of orexin – a hormone that is responsible for wakefulness. The causes of narcolepsy are not well understood; according to one version, it is hereditary in combination with external provoking factors, such as past viral or infectious diseases. The condition is potentially life-threatening and requires mandatory correction.

Symptoms of narcolepsy:

● Sudden loss of muscle control or feeling of weakness, especially during moments of emotional stress.
● Temporary paralysis after waking up.
● Uncontrolled and rapid falling asleep during daytime, a person may fall asleep even while driving or talking. After sleep, there is a feeling of cheerfulness.
● Hallucinations during the transition between sleep and wakefulness.

Nightmares

Symptoms of nightmares:

● Cries, moans during sleep.
● Awakening abruptly and feeling frightened.
● Rapid breathing and palpitations.
● Increased perspiration.
● Pressure increase.

Somnambulism

A disease better known as sleepwalking. Manifested as physical activity while in a state of sleep, a sleeping person can do ordinary household chores: turn on the TV, brush your teeth, clean up. At the same time, his eyes are open, he can navigate in space, answer simple questions, but his actions are unconscious and after waking up he does not remember what he did.

The causes of the phenomenon include lack of sleep, epilepsy, fever, taking certain medications, alcoholism, drug addiction, high levels of stress and anxiety.

Symptoms of somnambulism:

● Moving around and performing simple operations while asleep.
● Sleep in a sitting position.
● Sleep talking.
● The person wakes up in a different place from where he went to bed.

Bruxism

Bruxism manifests itself as grinding or tapping of the teeth during sleep and may occur several times a night.

The causes include neurosis, high stress levels, mental imbalance.

Symptoms of bruxism:

● Pain in the muscles of the face, temples, jaws.
● Ringing in the ears.
● Morning migraines, headaches.
● Erasure of hard tissue of teeth, development of caries and inflammation of the gums.

How to help yourself cope with sleep disorders

Sleep disorders can be caused by various reasons, so an individual approach is important for their elimination. It is important to be examined to make sure that sleep disturbances are not the result of diseases that require immediate treatment.

Regardless of this, it is necessary to establish a regimen and improve sleep hygiene. Just by exercising, being outdoors more often, limiting the use of gadgets and TV two hours before bedtime, you will already feel improvements.

In the task of getting rid of sleep disorders, an individual approach is very important. Only in this case, therapy will bring the most effective result in the shortest possible time.

In recent years, new effective methods for the treatment of sleep disorders have appeared, including translingual neurostimulation (TLNS) – a non-invasive effect on the brain through stimulation of tongue receptors.