7 Reasons Why You Wake Up Tired in the Morning
And how to fix them
A good night’s sleep is the cheapest luxury.
More than 60 million Americans have sleep disorders today. This creates a negative impact on their health, work, relationships, and quality of life.
But why is it so difficult to get something as simple as sleep? Your ancestors never faced these problems. They woke up relaxed in the morning.
Here are 7 reasons why you don’t wake up relaxed.
1. You sleep with your phone next to you
At the cost of sounding like an Indian mother, I will say it.
Your smartphone is the root cause of all your problems.
It is natural to fall asleep 5–10 minutes after going to bed (unless you are too tired). If you lack self-control, you will have an impulse to check your phone.
Those 5 harmless minutes turn into 50 minutes as you get lost in the whirlwind of reels, tweets, threads, and everything else making the tech billionaires richer.
Goodbye, sleep?
Additionally, the blue light emitted by your phone restrains the production of melatonin, the hormone controlling your circadian rhythm (sleep and wake cycle).
The lower the melatonin, the harder it is for you to fall and stay asleep.
This goes for all devices like laptops, and tablets.
How to fix it
- Keep your phone in a different room when you are sleeping
- Avoid usage of phone/ other devices 1–2 hours before going to bed
- If you have to keep your phone with you, turn off all notifications and keep it on silent, so you don't end up checking it
- Get a dumb phone instead of a smartphone
2. You drink coffee a few hours before bedtime
In the first year of my MBA, I had a super hectic schedule.
There were tons of assignments, projects, quizzes, classes, placement preparation, and whatnot. Of course, I compromised on my sleep to cover up the workload. To stay awake through the night, I drank a cup of coffee every day at 11 PM. This enabled me to stay up for the next 4–5 hours.
I got up at 8:45 AM for my 9 AM class. Each day I woke up feeling groggy and asking myself ‘What the f*ck is happening to me?’
5 years later, I have the answer.
Caffeine stays active in your body for at least 6 hours and blocks the release of the chemical adenosine, which makes you feel sleepy.
It interferes with your brain and thinking abilities.
Consider this experiment conducted by NASA scientists on the web-weaving capacity of a spider under the influence of various drugs. This is what the results looked like.
Yeah, we are not spiders, but still!
How to fix it
- Avoid caffeine post-afternoon
- Try alternatives like herbal tea or green tea (with lesser caffeine than coffee)
3. You don’t drink enough water throughout the day
Dehydration is a cause of morning fatigue.
Because when you are asleep, you lose fluids just by breathing. This increases if you breathe through your mouth or snore. Hence you need to fuel up for the night.
But avoid drinking excessive water right before bed to prevent midnight awakenings.
Instead, focus on staying hydrated throughout the day. It is a precursor to a good night’s sleep. As a bonus, it keeps your skin good, and your internal organs healthy.
How to fix it
- Keep a water bottle next to you at all times
- Avoid drinking water right before going to bed
4. You do not exercise regularly
Exercise makes my body relaxed, calm, and energized.
When I go to bed without getting daily exercise, I feel restless. It takes time to fall asleep. But when I exercise daily, or even walk around a bit, my body is more ready for sleep.
Exercise produces adrenaline, so it is best not to exercise too close to bedtime.
You can kickstart your day by being active first thing in the morning. This will also maintain your energy levels throughout the day.
How to fix it
- Exercise in the morning or late afternoon
- Walk to relax your body and mind
5. Your sleep quality is poor
Sleep is not just the number of hours slept.
If you sleep for 8 hours, twisting and turning in bed, it's no good.
Focus on getting quality sleep at night.
Your environment has a major impact on your sleep quality and your mood in the morning after waking up.
How to fix it
- Sleep in a dark room with no lights, especially blue light
- Sleep in a noise-free environment
- Reduce the room temperature (Your core temperature needs to drop by 1 degree Celsius for sleep to take over)
- Sleep and wake up at the same time every day to establish a sleep cycle and sleep pattern
- Get a comfortable pillow, mattress, and blanket
6. You are stressed
Stress is the biggest contributing factor on this list.
Racing thoughts, overthinking, or unresolved worries can keep you mentally engaged. This makes it challenging to relax and fall asleep.
It impacts sleep and sleep quality. As a result, you wake up irritated and under-prepared to face the day.
How to fix it
- Deep breathing and relaxation
- Journalling- Write down all your negative thoughts on paper. This way you are ‘unloading’ your mind
- Meditation
- Non-sleep Deep Rest (Yoga Nidra is my favorite)
7. Your food choices are bad
What you eat throughout the day has a significant impact on your sleep quality.
Because your energy levels are determined by your food. For example, if you consume energy-spiking foods like sugar, you are bound to feel tired when you wake up.
Another reason for waking up tired is eating before bed. The digestive system is active during sleep, thereby impacting sleep quality.
Your food choices can lead to all the difference between waking up tired and waking up energetic.
How to fix it
- Avoid eating 2 hours before bedtime
- Eat nutrient-dense foods
- Experiment with foods and see how they make you feel
Thank you for giving this a read! :)
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