Are you waking up tired? This could be the reason why you’re not really sleeping.

Why Do You Feel Sleepy All Day Long?

Being tired even after a good night’s sleep could have a medical or psychological reason. It could be due to caffeine intake, anxiety, sleep apnea, or more.

Overview

Sleep is a part of our human design that gives our body that much-needed rest from the hustle bustle of everyday life. It’s supposed to be restorative and re-energizes you for a new day. Unfortunately, however, some of us struggle with this exact thing.&nbsp;Instead of reaping the benefits sleep is supposed to provide us, we wake up tired and exhausted, wanting to either hit the snooze button or just go right back to bed again.&nbsp;Occasionally waking up tired is not a cause for concern, but if it’s been like this for as long as you can remember and now it feels like you’re running on fumes, it might be wise to take a look at why this is happening.&nbsp;

Sleep Inertia

One common reason for feeling tired right after waking up could be sleep inertia. This means that you continue to feel groggy after you have gotten up as it takes your body a little while to adjust to the waking state. It can last for over 15 to 60 minutes, but can last longer for some people.&nbsp;

Having sleep inertia leads to having slower motor and cognitive skills and can be annoying for those who need to be on high alert as soon as they wake up such as a security guard or an on-call doctor. We don&rsquo;t really understand why this happens but it&rsquo;s postulated that our prefrontal cortex, part of the brain that controls higher mental functions, takes a while to come back online after waking up.&nbsp;

Our bodies also ensure we wake up naturally by slowly releasing cortisol into the system at the end of the sleep cycle. This allows all your organs to get acclimated to the waking state and <a href="https://merisehat.pk/page/sehat-scan/">your blood pressure</a> and breathing get to slowly adjust as well.&nbsp;

However, when a loud alarm wakes us up, it can happen when you are in deep sleep. This means you never get enough time to adjust and are thrust into consciousness all of a sudden. This is another reason why it feels like you didn&rsquo;t catch a wink all night even after you have gotten enough sleep.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Gastric Reflux

It’s entirely possible that you simply didn’t get enough sleep. This could be due to reflux that gets exacerbated upon lying down flat and is the reason behind a whole night of tossing and turning. Other than visiting your GI specialist you can tackle this issue by sleeping with more than one pillow under your head, by sleeping on your side and also by avoiding heavy meals right before bed.&nbsp;

Bad Sleep Hygiene

Bad sleep hygiene is common and is the leading cause behind why some folks don’t ever feel fully rested no matter how much sleep they get. Sleep hygiene refers to healthy practices associated with bedtime such as turning down bright lights, avoiding tea, coffee and bright screens and not taking any naps throughout the day. This ensures your body naturally shuts off at bedtime instead of a whole night of disrupted sleep.&nbsp;

Other Medical Causes

Other reasons for waking up tired can include medical causes such as anemia, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, diabetes or hypothyroidism. All of these conditions can make you feel fatigued and lead to sleep related issues.

The Bottom Line

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, adults should be getting at least seven hours of sleep each night.&nbsp; Our circadian rhythms or internal body clocks decide whether we are night owls or morning people. Yes, you’re naturally predisposed to be either one or the other and unfortunately we don’t get to choose which one we are thanks to thousands of years of evolution.&nbsp; However, you can still do certain things to train your body to go to bed early and wake up on time. Practice better sleep hygiene by ensuring you sleep in a cool and comfortable room, avoid stimulants or heavy meals right before bed, incorporate some form of exercise in your daily routine or some light stretches right before bed and start going to bed at the same time every night.&nbsp;These are some of the things that can help you have better sleep hygiene. Things like using your phone before sleeping can also disturb the production of melatonin, a hormone that controls sleep. So, stop using any screens an hour or two before bed.Also, having a good filling breakfast consisting of whole grains, nuts, and proteins like eggs or oatmeal can help you get rid of the early morning fatigue and charge you up for the day. At the end of the day most of these measures can fix your problem of waking up already tired.&nbsp;

Trusted By