Do you wake up every morning feeling tired and lethargic and have difficulty functioning unless you drink 2 cups of coffee first?

Then you are probably suffering from accumulated sleep deprivation, which means that both the quantity and quality of your sleep need to be improved.

We all have the right to not sleep well for a night or two and wake up tired in the morning. However, if this happens frequently, then there is no doubt that lack of sleep can negatively affect our health and the way we function in our daily lives.

Sleep for humans - and for every living being on this planet - plays a crucial role in physical and mental development .

Indicatively for adults, accumulated sleep deprivation has been associated with a wide range of health problems, including:

• cardiovascular problems
• the weakened immune system
• the highest risk for obesity and type II diabetes
• reduced ability to concentrate and poor memory
• mental health problems , such as depression and anxiety disorders

So a good night's sleep is not only defined by how many hours we slept, but also by the quality of our sleep.

The good news is that you can fix the situation by practically improving your sleep habits.

In this article we will show you ways to stop waking up tired every morning and start enjoying a quality and balanced life with more sleep and less stress.

And because you can't improve something if you don't first recognize the mistake, let's see what are the basic mistakes you make in your sleep that make you feel exhausted during the day even though you may have slept a full 8 hours.

Why do you wake up tired? The possible causes

No one wants to start their day feeling sluggish and tired. To ensure you get a good night's sleep every night, we first need to take a deep dive into the most common causes of waking up tired every morning.

1. Sleep Inactivity

If you wake up in the morning feeling disoriented and almost mentally paralyzed, if you have an irresistible desire to hit snooze all day and no desire to get out of bed, don't wonder what exactly is happening to you because there is an explanation for this phenomenon. It's called sleep inertia.

Sleep inertia can be defined as a temporary feeling of drowsiness, disorientation, clumsiness, and bad mood during the period of wakefulness. Although this phenomenon is not fully understood, scientists believe that sleep inertia occurs when we are awakened by an unnatural means (e.g., an alarm clock) during the deeper stages of sleep.

Scientists began disseminating information about sleep inertia in the 1960s and discovered that it is a temporary state of reduced cognitive ability and alertness that lasts for about an hour after a person wakes up.

How will you deal with sleep deprivation?

When you wake up in the morning with sleep inertia, at best you will start your day in a bad mood and feeling clumsy, like you are completely lost. The good news is that there is a way to deal with it.

Here's a simple strategy to combat sleep inertia:

To combat sleep inertia, you need to pick a time to wake up every morning and stick to that schedule religiously. Once you've chosen a wake-up time, say 6:30 a.m., then it's time to work backwards in multiples of 90 minutes to decide what time to go to bed.

The secret is NOT the amount of sleep, but the specific number of hours you sleep. And this must be a multiple of 90 minutes, because a complete sleep cycle (NREM and REM) lasts 90 minutes.

Once you understand this, your life will change.

So you don't need to be as strict about your bedtime as you are about your wake-up time. For example, if you go out with friends for drinks every Thursday and come home late, simply adjust your sleep so that in the morning you wake up at 6:30 AM having completed as many 90-minute cycles as you can without breaking them.

The options you have with multiples of 90 minutes are to sleep: 1.5 hours/3 hours/4.5 hours/6 hours/7.5 hours/9 hours.

So if you get back from the exit at 01:00 at night, to wake up at 06:30 and not feel like you've been hit by a train due to sleep inertia, then instead of going straight to bed, delay it until 02:00 so that you sleep for 3 90-minute cycles. In the morning you will see that you will wake up easily and with much more energy than otherwise.

This is why, even though you sleep the "recommended" 8 hours, you feel tired and lack energy in the morning. Because you break up the 90-minute cycles.

2. Bad habits before bed

Another reason you may wake up feeling tired in the morning is poor sleep habits, such as using electronic devices just before you close your eyes or eating a large amount of food before going to bed. All of these can ruin the quality of your sleep and significantly increase the likelihood of waking up in the morning feeling exhausted.

Here are a few more examples of bad habits that sabotage sleep:

• Not having a fixed sleep schedule
• Going to bed dizzy from alcohol
• Drinking coffee a few hours before bed
• Being stressed and having your mind restless
• Taking long naps
• Using the bedroom for purposes other than sleep (and sex!)

According to Harvard Medical School , exposure to blue light from electronic devices is particularly harmful to the quality of our sleep.

Exposure to blue light at night, whether from endlessly scrolling down social media or watching Netflix, stops the body's production of melatonin (the sleep hormone), making it much more difficult to get a restful and refreshing night's sleep.

For this reason, it's a good idea to put electronic devices away at least 30 minutes before bed, or alternatively, you can wear glasses that block blue light. There are many on the market.

Solutions to improve sleep habits

One of the easiest ways to overhaul your sleep habits is to create a relaxing bedtime routine that relaxes your body and mind.

So in the hour before bed, try to do relaxing activities that help reduce late-night stress.

For example, many people find the pressure exerted on their body by a gravity blanket particularly relaxing.

According to research conducted on people suffering from chronic insomnia and other coexisting psychiatric disorders, such as depression, attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity, or generalized anxiety disorder, using a gravity blanket for 4 weeks had the following results:

• reducing the time until they fall asleep
• longer duration of sleep during the night
• more energy during the day
• reduced symptoms of fatigue
• reduced levels of anxiety and depression

Other things you can do to relax your mind and body are to light some nice scented candles, make a tea with herbs that help you sleep (e.g. lavender, chamomile, valerian), and read a book. Or if you don't like reading, you can sit on the couch with your partner and spend some quality time together. Whatever suits you.

The ritual of relaxation before bed is an essential process that if you manage to follow every night, your mind will associate with sleep and you will be able to sleep more easily, but also with better quality. Try it!

3. Inadequate sleep environment

Another insidious cause of waking up tired is a poor sleep environment. Indeed, conditions in our environment such as light, noise, and temperature can play a dramatic role in how rested you feel the next day.

Here are some examples of factors in your environment that can disrupt your sleep:

• Exposure to bright light at night
• An uncomfortable mattress, pillow, or duvet
• The mess in the bedroom
• Environmental noise
• Too hot or too cold temperature in the bedroom

Solutions to improve your environment

From noisy neighborhoods to the bright blue light in your bathroom, the number of things that can disrupt your sleep quality is endless. But on the bright side, many factors in your environment are within your control, meaning you can improve them.

How;

Here are some simple changes you can make to your environment to help you fall asleep more easily and wake up with more energy in the morning:

• Set your bedroom temperature to between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius. This is the ideal sleeping temperature for most people. Alternatively, the Gravity Ice cooling blanket can keep you cool throughout the night.
• Try to eliminate noises coming from outside.
• Keep the bedroom completely dark by installing blackout curtains or wearing a sleep mask.

4. Sleep disorders

Everyone experiences the occasional bad night where they toss and turn in their bed unable to sleep, but for a certain percentage of the population, the challenge of falling asleep quickly and soundly can be immense.

Research has shown that insomnia affects about 30% to 40% of adults in the US in a given year, while in Greece 40% of the population of Greece is currently facing serious insomnia problems due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, there are many sleep disorders that can disrupt your sleep at night. Let's take a quick look at some of the most common sleep disorders and their symptoms:

1. Obstructive sleep apnea

This type of apnea occurs when there is a blockage in the upper airway, causing the person to pause in breathing during the night. In addition to drowsiness and feeling tired during the day, one of the most noticeable signs of sleep apnea is loud snoring.

2. Restless legs syndrome

Restless Legs Syndrome is a common neurological disorder that is believed to affect between 5% and 15% of the population in Greece and is known to be a significant obstacle to good sleep. The symptoms are an unpleasant sensation in the legs when the person lies down to sleep and an uncontrollable desire to shake them to relieve themselves. Using a weighted blanket can solve the problem of restless legs in a natural way.

Solutions for sleep disorders

The best way to deal with any sleep disorder is to first get an official diagnosis from a doctor. You may need to have a sleep disorder study at a clinic to get a proper diagnosis.

Considering that many sleep disorders are linked to a range of health consequences—such as an increased risk of obesity, heart attack, and stroke—it's worth looking into it further and seeking the advice of a doctor.

5. Frequent urination during sleep

The truth is that even if you only wake up once during the night to use the bathroom, it can be enough to disrupt your sleep and cause you trouble waking up in the morning.

Nighttime urination (known as nocturia) is not an uncommon occurrence, especially among older adults. Studies show that nearly 70% of men and 76% of women over the age of 40 use the toilet at least once during the night.

Common causes of nocturia include:

• Excessive fluid consumption before bedtime
• Overactive bladder
• Diabetes without treatment
• Pregnancy
• High sodium diet
• Prostate enlargement

Solutions for frequent urination during sleep

Bedwetting may be common, but that doesn't mean you have to continue living with it. Here are some possible solutions to help you stop frequent nighttime urination:

• See a doctor to rule out underlying medical conditions.
• Reduce salt in your diet, as it makes you thirsty and makes you drink more before bed.
• Place a pillow under your feet to elevate them and avoid fluid accumulation.
• Maintain a healthy body weight so you don't put too much pressure on your bladder.

How to deal with the feeling of fatigue and disorientation upon waking up in the morning

Understanding the reasons why you wake up tired is key to getting your sleep (and your health) back on track. If you're still having trouble waking up in the morning, try these quick-acting tips to combat morning fatigue.

1. Drink water and take a cold bath

According to experts, the morning feeling of fatigue and lethargy can be treated by hydrating by drinking plenty of water and taking a cold bath immediately after waking up.

2. Expose yourself to natural light

After taking a bath, open the curtains and stand in front of the natural light. Exposing your body to natural light will help you start your day by signaling to your body that it's time to get energized.

3. Take a nap (a little) at noon

Napping isn't just for little kids. A lot of research shows that a short nap in the afternoon can help boost performance, memory retention, and alertness. Just remember to keep it to no more than 30 minutes.

4. Go for a quick walk

A brisk walk in the morning is an effective way to increase your alertness. Experts at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine say that exercise can raise your body's core temperature, which signals to your brain that it's time to wake up. Plus, the cool air hitting your face is sure to wake you up.

5. Eat a healthy breakfast

The next time you wake up feeling tired, drag yourself to the kitchen and prepare a healthy breakfast. Food is fuel, and eating breakfast signals to your body that you're awake and ready to move.

Upgrade your sleep with a gravity blanket

Gravity blankets are the most effective way to deal with insomnia and stress without medication, as they have been used for many decades to help people suffering from anxiety disorders, autism, and other sensory disorders.

How do they work?

They are designed to apply gentle, steady pressure to the entire body, which occupational therapists call “ Deep Tactile Pressure .” This steady pressure relaxes the nervous system and helps the body naturally increase levels of serotonin and melatonin (the hormones of happiness and sleep) while reducing levels of cortisol, which is responsible for stress.

As a result, the mind stops "racing", the heart rate drops, the mood improves and the body enters a state of complete relaxation.

Choose the one that weighs closest to 10% of your body weight and upgrade your sleep from the very first night!