Have you ever found waking up in the morning a chore? Like there was a feeling of sluggishness that prevented you from getting out of bed or that was preventing you from feeling productive that morning.
Well, that is called morning fatigue, and a lot of us are plagued by it, and there are a lot of reasons people face it. We’ll be covering a few things that give us morning fatigue and a few ways to overcome them.
What is Morning Fatigue?
Morning fatigue is that feeling you get in the morning when you have just woken up. It is the disorientation and grogginess that you feel first thing in the morning when your brain is still trying to wake up. For most people, it is fixed by drinking a cup of coffee.
4 Causes of Morning Fatigue
There are a few things that can cause morning fatigue:
a. Blue Light Exposure:
Blue light is essentially any light that emits blue wavelengths. The light is traditionally found in light from screens like cell phone screens and computer monitors. These rays are meant to actually keep you alert during the day but can negatively affect you during the night. These effects translate to staying awake late at night and can also give you headaches. As a result, you get less sleep than you need and then get lazy in the morning.
b. Unhealthy Schedule:
It essentially builds upon the earlier point. We have a lot of different things to do in the middle of the night. Binging TV shows, reading books, playing games, etc. It essentially has an impact on our sleep patterns and schedules. Because of these tasks, we end up getting less sleep than we need, and we inevitably fall victim to the side effects of a lack of sleep. These include headaches and lethargy, which make the morning harder on all of us.
However, if you are a disciplined individual but are unable to schedule your life better due to an unpredictable job, you may want to look for a new job. It is especially true if you often have to work the night shift. One option that can be ideal for many of you would be to consider work at home.
c. Sleep Environment:
Many other factors in one’s sleep environment can contribute to morning fatigue. Some examples include having a bad mattress. If you find yourself waking up with body pains and with discomfort, then it’s probably time to re-evaluate your sleeping environment and perhaps even your mattress. This can also be said for the audio environment around you. If you find yourself waking up to loud noises and headaches, it’s time to look into soundproofing or noise-canceling options. Studies have shown that sleeping on a new mattress is better for your sleep.
d. Dietary Factors:
There are certain dietary reasons for facing morning fatigue. One of these reasons is consuming too much caffeine. Caffeine aids us in becoming more alert and keeping us awake for the whole day. This, in turn, makes it harder to go to sleep and can result in laziness in the morning. Building upon this, drinking too much water and any liquid before bedtime can actually result in the need to urinate throughout the night. This actually disturbs us during the night and can have an impact on our ability to get a good night’s sleep.
How To Avoid Morning Fatigue?
There are a few steps you can take to avoid morning fatigue. They are:
Wake Up To A Shower:
One of the things to do when you wake up in the morning would be to hop in the shower. This can actually help with dealing with laziness in the mornings and can work to make you more alert and active in the morning. If there is no time for a shower in the morning, you can always substitute it with a splash of cold water in the face. Research has shown that cold showers can assist in improving health and also reduce the overall sick days any would go through during the year.
Start With Breakfast:
Always have a good breakfast at the start of the day; your sluggishness could be caused by a host of different things, from dehydration to a lack of necessary nutrients. Having breakfast can help fuel the body and help you in being active throughout the day. It’s always a good idea to include food that can help reduce fatigue in your diets, such as lean proteins, nuts, and oats. These may help with morning fatigue in the long run and allow you to feel fresh when starting your day. It would also help to keep away from that cup of morning coffee.
Practice Self-Care:
Perhaps the reason for your morning fatigue is something else. Stress and anxiety impact your mental health and can lead to feelings of laziness and headaches. It’s a good idea to address these issues in your life and make time for yourself throughout the day. Look into hobbies, go out, take a walk in the sun, and do anything that can help you relax. The chances are that once you make time for yourself, you will find yourself feeling better than before.
Drink Water
Dehydration causes fatigue, and even a minor case can cause it. Sleepiness, alterations in cognitive function, and mood swings are all possible side effects of Trusted Source. Before you begin moving, drink a glass of water to refresh your entire body.
Dehydration saps energy and makes it difficult to execute physical tasks. “Our research reveals that dehydration makes it more difficult for athletes to complete a weight-lifting workout,” says Dan Judelson, Ph.D., assistant professor of kinesiology at Cal State Fullerton. “It’s logical to believe that dehydration induces weariness, even in persons who are merely doing household activities.” Dehydration has been linked to a reduction in alertness and focus.
You may feel exhausted and tired if you don’t drink enough water. To wake yourself up, keep a glass of water beside you and take a large sip. If you’re constantly on the run, bring a reusable bottle with you. Water can also help you have a bowel movement first thing in the morning.
Pro-tip: If morning drowsiness persists, increase your intake of water and other non-caffeinated fluids throughout the day.
Stretch and Exercise
There’s a reason stretching first thing in the morning feels so fantastic. Your muscles are literally paralyzed (atonia) overnight during REM sleep, and reactivating them generates energy-stimulating endorphins.
Although practically any exercise is beneficial, yoga is particularly useful in increasing energy levels. For example, volunteers in a British study reported gains in clarity, energy, and confidence after six weeks of once-weekly yoga courses.
Exercising is your body’s natural way of reawakening after a night of (largely) immobility. Go for a brisk jog or bike ride if you have the time. You can also do some fast-stretching exercises like drop squats, side bends, star leaps, and side shuffles if you don’t have much time. It may feel exhausting at first, but you’ll soon notice a difference in your energy levels.
According to a 2008 study from the University of Georgia, a low-intensity exercise is a unique approach to combat weariness caused by underlying medical issues. Surprisingly, individuals who engaged in light exercise benefited even more than those who engaged in moderate activity.
Pro-tip: If you have a few minutes in the morning, do some morning yoga; just 25 minutes of yoga has been proven to improve energy levels and brain function.
Fix Your Sleep Schedule and Practice Good Sleep Hygiene
The truth is that most of us do not get nearly enough sleep. If you’re constantly exhausted during the day, you’re probably not getting enough rest at night.
If your nighttime routines may have such an impact on your sleep, your waking routine could as well. You’ve heard of sleep hygiene, which refers to a set of best practices for falling asleep at night.
- 1 hour before bedtime, turn off all screens
- Every night, go to bed at the same time
- Establishing a relaxing sleeping environment
- Make sure your room is cool and dark and that you haven’t eaten in at least two hours. Before going to bed, avoid eating anything heavy or spicy.
- Early in the morning, expose oneself to sunshine. Better sleep and reduced exhaustion in the morning and throughout the day are the results of regularity.
Getting up simultaneously every day helps preserve the circadian rhythm, the internal biological clock that causes tiredness. So try to get up simultaneously every day, even on weekends, to see if you can avoid the midday slump.
Take Away:
Morning Fatigue can fall on anyone at any time. Therefore, all of us must assess our environments and determine what can bring us a peaceful night’s sleep with a good bill of health moving forward.
