You wake up by the alarm, but can barely open your eyes…until finally you manage to get yourself out of bed, feeling like a zombie…
I’ve been there. Waking up used to be the hardest task for me, everyday. I used to hit the snooze button, sometimes for HOURS, just to finally get out of bed heavy and drowsy…
Today I wake up refreshed and on time, sometimes even before the alarm! I assure you – you CAN wake up refreshed and full of energy.
By the way, if you’re having ‘trouble waking up‘, but don’t feel very tired after you get out of bed – you may want to learn more about oversleeping.
You may also want to read my tips on how to have more energy in the morning (at the Energy & Motivation Blog).
So why do you wake up tired? Here are the two most common causes and how to avoid them…
Waking Up from Poor Sleep
Most chances are that you wake up so tired, either because you’re not getting enough sleep, or because you don’t sleep well enough. In other words – If you sleep 7-8 hours and still wake up tired, you’re probably getting poor sleep.
Why is that?
Well, you may be suffering from a physical sleep disorder… (you may want to get yourself checked) however, It’s more likely that your sleep is damaged by things like stress and bad habits, or even just by outside conditions, such as shift work or noisy neighbors.
So if you wake up tired – your 1st step should be to make sure you’re getting high quality sleep…
There are some simple things that you can do to improve your sleep, which will help you wake up more refreshed (and also enjoy higher levels of energy throughout the day).
Waking Up from Deep Sleep
Even if you get enough sleep, you may wake up really tired if the alarm goes off at the ‘wrong time’ for you. Let me explain…
I don’t want to get too technical here, but let’s just say that our sleep is made of several cycles, each is about 90 minutes long…
Generally, when you wake up at the end of a cycle you feel refreshed, and when you wake up somewhere in the middle of a cycle, you feel groggy and tired, as if your body wants to complete the sleep cycle it was in.
In order to avoid waking up in the middle of a sleep cycle, you can experiment:
(Note: This method can work if you have a very consistent sleep schedule.)
Move the time you go to sleep and the time you wake up to 20-40 minutes sooner or later until you find the best bedtime and rising time.
Another strategy is the ‘gentle wake up’
What you do is set two alarm clocks…
One should go off about 40 minutes before the time you plan to wake up. It can be a quiet tune or chime. The idea is that at the end of a sleep cycle you are more easily woken up, so the sound of the alarm would gently awaken you.
The other alarm should be set for the latest time you can afford to wake up. That’s your backup, so it should probably be louder.
I hope this makes sense. If it doesn’t or if you have any other questions, please post them below. Also, if you haven’t yet…
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Wake Up Fresh & Alert
Use this self hypnosis audio program to energise your body and jumpstart your day!I've never tried it myself, but I do believe in the power of self hypnosis. If you tend to wake up feeling groggy and tired, I suggest that you give it a try...
I’m 19 years old I work full time as a restaurant manager , my shifts are from 6 pm till 4am four nights a week , I’m in a bad situation , I can’t seem to find another job but i can’t quit my job becuse I have to pay rent and its the only money I make , I wake up at about noon to 1pm , but when I wake up I feel like I cant get out of bed , my whole body is so tired that I could just fall down , I’ll go out and do stuff other than work but my body is so tired that I don’t even want to move , I am insanely tired right now and I woke up about 6 hours ago I go in to work my shift in about 30 minutes and I feel like I’m too tired to work till 4 in the morning , someone please give me some tips or anything to help me , I would greatly appreciate it , I’m 19 years old and I feel like someone who is like 40 if anyone can help me with this please email me at jamelton23@gmail.com , thank you
Have your blood iron level checked AND your testosterone level checked. Either or both of these could be the culprit. Without question see your doctor.
Justin, seeing a doctor is of course a good idea, but what about your habits? Do you eat well? Get some sun? exercise? Do you have some fun or just work and sleep all the time?
Besides, there are many other possible causes, like Sleep Apnea, food intolerance and more.
ps – sorry for the late response and thank you John (M.) for your comment.
I sleep too much and my parents complains about it.i wake up in the morning feeling like i should go back to bed.what should i do?
I don’t sleep well, I am a very light sleeper and use white noise to drown out the noisy apt building i live in. I am a single mom, full time student and recent widow, I have alot on my plate. I generally sleep from 9pm to 5am. I dream all night and wake up several times, I often feel like I am barely asleep. I find it really hard to relax. But I also love my bed and love to sleep. I wake exhausted and am tired all day long. I often feel as though I haven’t slept at all, as tired all morning as I am at night before I go to bed. I fall asleep quickly but don’t sleep well. Any thought would be appreciated, Nicole
Two thoughts come to mind, Nicole. One is Sleep Apnea, and the other is – depression. When it comes to sleep apnea, I can take a wild guess…
You may have always had some degree of sleep apnea, but maybe since your husband past away you’re less conscious of your sleeping position (and your snoring?), and you tend to sleep on your back more than before. This triggers apnea – meaning it causes an interruption in air flow to the lungs (and oxygen to the brain), and your brain “wakes you up”, preventing you from getting deep sleep.
Makes sense?
I would have a great sleep but I still wake up tried what does it means and i go to school and it feels like i am dead to the world. what do i do
It could mean many different things, for example: maybe you’re just unmotivated to go to school, maybe it’s cold and dark outside and that makes waking up unpleasant. What do YOU think it might be?
try to get a good all around stretch in, and possibly a quick cardio workout before you shower and head out for the day. i do that when i wake up and still feel tired. seems to work. eat a light healthy meal in the morning that includes fruits and water and possibly some 100% juice too! i hate coffee, so i can’t recommend. seems like any other drug though–you eventually crash. lol. if all else fails, go to a doctor. if you can afford to– i know i can’t nowadays. good luck!!