We’ve all woken up feeling like our heads had just hit the pillow every once in a while. It’s hard to look forward to waking up when you’re always tired in the mornings. While lack of enough sleep and quality sleep are typical culprits of waking up feeling tired, there are a number of tricks you can try to help jumpstart your day and make it easier to feel refreshed and awake after a good (or not even so good) night’s sleep.
When offering tips on how to get better sleep, we often focus on what you can do before bed. Those are still important, so don’t forget to check out all our healthy sleep habits. But, today we’ll take a look at what you can do in the morning to help you feel less tired or groggy and get your day off on the right foot.
Put your alarm clock out of reach. Staying in bed after you’ve woken up is a sure way to feel tired longer. If you can’t reach the snooze button, it’ll force you to get out of bed to turn it off. It’s important to get moving right away in the morning if you want to feel refreshed and avoid grogginess. And for those of you who have a hard time letting go of your cell phone every night, plugging it in a few steps away from your bed will help you avoid staring at the screen right before bed.
Expose yourself to sunlight early. Have you ever noticed that it can be easier to get up in the summer because the sun is already out by the time you wake up? Bright lights sends signals to your brain to decrease the production of melatonin, a hormone that makes you feel tired. In the summer months, it’s easy to open your curtains or blinds and let the morning sunlight in. On cloudy days or during the winter months, make sure you turn on a bright light in your bedroom or bathroom – wherever you get ready for the day – to help stimulate your body.
Get a little exercise. Aside from being great for your body and helping you feel tired at the end of the day, exercising in the morning can help you feel energized. If you prefer to get your exercise in a little later in the day, don’t worry – a non-intensive or short exercise routine such as walking or yoga can do the trick.
Eat breakfast. Who doesn’t love waking up to the smell of bacon, cinnamon rolls or your favorite breakfast of choice? Knowing you have a delicious breakfast waiting for you is a great incentive to get moving. Breakfast has been called the most important meal because it helps get your body fueled up for the day, and many experts recommend making it your heaviest meal. Plus, your body will have an easier time burning off the calories when you’re up and moving around throughout the day rather than trying to digest your dinner once you’ve already settled down for the evening.
Exchange coffee for water or herbal tea. We wouldn’t ask you to give up coffee completely, but try trading in your morning jolt for water or herbal tea a couple times a week. Drinking too much coffee will make your body immune to its effects so if you’re drinking cup after cup every day, it may not be working as effectively as you’d hope. Alternatively, drinking water or tea in the morning will help hydrate your body and ward off fatigue.
If you feels like you’re always tired, it could be a sign of a sleep disorder such as obstructive sleep apnea or narcolepsy. When excessive daytime sleepiness persists for more than a couple weeks, consider visiting a sleep doctor. The team at Iowa Sleep can help you figure out what’s wrong and help you get back on track for better sleep night after night. Contact us by phone at 515-225-0188.