The alarm goes off and you have to stop yourself from throwing it across the room. You're only able to open one eye because the other is still not ready to give up on sleep. You just slept for 8 hours, but your body demands more. At this point, you're probably wondering - why do I wake up tired?
Everyone has experienced waking up tired and groggy in the morning. Your mind and motor functions aren’t as sharp as usual, and you feel like there’s a fog clouding your brain. Although you’re awake, you’re tired and stuck in a sleep-like state.
This is called sleep inertia. Sleep inertia is a physiological state that occurs between sleep and wakefulness where feelings of drowsiness and disorientation persist. This can happen when you wake up during the REM sleep cycle, your deepest and most restorative phase of sleep.
Reasons You May Wake Up Feeling Tired
While sleep inertia is the primary cause of waking up feeling tired, there are many factors that aid in poor sleep that can lead to feeling groggy in the morning. Here are a few:
- Eating and drinking habits. Research has shown that eating less fiber, more saturated fat and more sugar throughout the day is linked with lighter, less restorative sleep. Drinking caffeine or alcohol can also disrupt your sleep and leave you feeling groggy and restless the next day. If you drink beverages in these categories, it’s best to do so sparingly and at least four hours before going to bed. So be mindful of your diet during the day if you are having a hard time waking up feeling refreshed.
- Blue light exposure. Up late on your phone, laptop, or watching TV? These devices emit blue light which suppresses a hormone in your brain called melatonin — otherwise known as the sleep hormone.
- Bedroom disturbances. If something keeps waking you prematurely throughout the night, you may wake up feeling groggy in the morning. Whether it be frequent urination, loud noises, disruptive light, or anything else that jolts you awake, you’ll likely feel worse for wear the next morning.
- An unsupportive mattress. If you wake up feeling stiff and achy along with groggy, your mattress could be to blame. If your mattress is old or simply doesn’t support your weight, body type, or preferred sleep position, it could be negatively impacting your rest.
Steps To Improve Sleep Quality
If any of these issues resonate with you, there are a few simple steps you can take to improve the quality of your sleep and wake up feeling refreshed for the day ahead.
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Eat healthy. Eat nutrient-rich, well-balanced meals at a regular cadence throughout the day to help regulate your sleep. In turn, lack of sleep causes the body to produce a mix of hormones that encourage unhealthy eating habits. Therefore, eating healthy promotes better sleep, and better sleep promotes eating healthy!
- Relax. Sometimes telling yourself to "relax" is about as easy as pushing a boulder uphill. It's not something that will happen overnight, but you can teach yourself how to relax before going to bed through the use of meditation. However, if meditation isn't your thing, you can try soothing background noises. Focusing on that instead of the millions of things keeping you awake, can help you fall asleep faster and provide for a better night's sleep.
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Put away the electronics. Minimize your exposure to blue light before bedtime. Instead, opt for a cup of decaffeinated tea, stretch, read, or do some mild yoga. These tactics will relax your muscles and mind and prepare you for sleep much better than your cell phone will.
- Create the sleeping environment that’s right for you. If what you’ve been doing isn’t working, switch it up! Discover the temperature, lighting, number of pillows and blankets, etc., that make you the most comfortable. The goal is not just to fall asleep, but to design an environment that will keep you asleep throughout the night. The Tempur-Pedic Sleeptracker can help solve a lot of these issues. It keeps track of several variables in your sleeping environment, including temperature, humidity, air purity, and more.
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Invest in a new mattress. Your mattress should be your primary aid in amazing sleep — not a hindrance. An investment in a mattress is an investment in your health, and ultimately, happiness. Determine if it’s time for a new mattress that is not only comfortable, but supportive in all the ways that matter. Take advantage of Mattress Warehouse's current sale and find the mattress that is a great fit for your body and your budget.
Say Goodbye To Groggy Mornings
The most important piece of furniture in your room (and perhaps your entire house) is your mattress. You spend approximately a third of your life on it, so it’s never something you should settle on.
If you’re constantly waking up tired, it may be time for a new mattress — one that’s so comfortable, you can’t help but sleep like a baby.
That’s why we have bedMATCHⓇ, our diagnostic sleep system. bedMATCHⓇ takes the guesswork out of mattress shopping by using scientific measurements to make objective recommendations on the best mattress specifically for you.
Since we know not everyone will be able to take our quick three-minute test in-store, we’ve created an online bedMATCHⓇ quiz so you can discover the perfect bed for you without leaving your house.
Drop by your local Mattress Warehouse to try bedMATCHⓇ in-store with the help of one of our sleep experts, or take the quiz online today.