You might think waking up early is synonymous with feeling tired, but this doesn’t have to be the case. It may sound too good to be true, but there is a way to wake up early without feeling tired.
You don’t need a magical cure to find out to wake up early and still find yourself alert and energetic, either. In fact, waking up early with boosted energy levels is simply a matter of building the right routine and habits.
Why Do I Feel Tired When I Wake Up?
For many of us, finding energy throughout the day might feel like a constant battle, but that doesn’t mean dozing throughout your day has to be inevitable. If you feel constantly tired when you wake up, it could boil down to a few possible reasons.
Too Much or Too Little Sleep
On average, adults should get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. The amount of sleep you need largely depends on your sleep cycle.
The seven-to-nine-hour range is usually enough for most people to undergo two sleep cycles. However, incomplete sleep cycles are detrimental to your energy levels. Any disruption, including oversleeping or sleeping too little, to these sleep cycles can leave you feeling groggy after you wake up.
Poor Sleep Quality
Getting good quality sleep is just as important as getting a good quantity of sleep. If you wake up after getting enough sleep and still don’t feel rested, your sleep quality might be to blame.
There are a number of factors that can affect the quality of your sleep. For example, eating before bed can make it harder for you to be comfortable as you sleep. Other negative influences on your sleep quality might include sleep disorders, an ineffective bedtime routine, and a poor sleep environment.
Poor Sleep Hygiene
Sleep hygiene refers to the quality of your sleep environment and the quality of your routine before going to bed. Good sleep hygiene involves building a consistent sleep schedule and bedtime routines to avoid sleep disturbances.
If your habits before bed don’t help you relax, it could affect the quality of your sleep and leave you feeling more restless during the day.
How Can I Wake Up Early Without Feeling Tired?
Waking up early without feeling tired is possible — you just need to know how to do it. Whether you are a morning person or not, you can start boosting your daily energy levels with just a few simple tips.
1. Set a Consistent Bedtime and Wake-Up Time
Have you ever gone to sleep later on the weekend but still ended up waking up at the same time you would for work? This phenomenon happens because our bodies love consistency and routine — they are great for the internal clocks that help us function. As a result, consistency can help train the body to be more awake when needed.
Even night owls who go to sleep later can enjoy a bit more energy during the day if they have a consistent bedtime and rise time. When you build a consistent routine, you can program your body to get tired and feel awake at the right time.
If you haven’t built this routine, then there is a good chance that your body doesn’t know when it should prepare for sleep and when it needs to get active. This might leave you feeling stuck in the middle, either when you’re lying in bed or when you’re getting ready to take on the day.
2. Avoid Blue Light Before Bed
Blue light is a sneaky but significant barrier to healthy sleep. Our bodies rely on an internal clock, called our circadian rhythm, that tells us when we should be tired and when we should be awake. Blue light messes with that circadian rhythm by inhibiting the production of melatonin, the chemical our brain produces to make us feel tired.
Electronics are the most common culprit when it comes to sources of blue light. Phones, televisions, and computers all emit blue light.
When you use them right before bed, it tricks your brain into thinking you need to stay awake and alert, which can make it harder to sleep and make your sleep less restful when you do. To avoid blue light, stay away from your devices for about 30 minutes to an hour before bed.
3. Form a Sleep Routine
On top of avoiding blue light, it helps to take other steps to wind down before jumping into bed. A bedtime routine can do wonders for prepping your body for a more restful sleep. Part of your sleep routine should generally include creating a healthy sleep environment by turning off the lights, removing any sources of noise, and making yourself more comfortable.
You should also do things to relax and avoid getting too amped up before it’s time to sleep. For example, try to avoid working out too close to bedtime. When you exercise, your heart rate rises, and your body releases endorphins. This can make you feel more alert and energized, which can make it harder to fall asleep.
Similarly, avoid taking a cold shower before bed since the cold water can stimulate your senses and make you more alert, which can also work against you when you crawl under the covers. On the other hand, taking a cold shower when you wake up in the morning might make you more alert and give you more energy.
Lastly, avoid overdoing it with naps. Napping during the day might be a good way to give you an extra burst of energy, but it can also affect the quality of your sleep if you nap too much.
4. Don’t Hit Snooze
For most of us, an alarm clock is a necessity for waking up early, whether it is on our phones or sitting on the nightstand. There’s nothing wrong with using an alarm clock, but it can certainly affect your energy levels if you’re not careful about how you use it.
You might feel like hitting the snooze button helps you get in your last-minute Zzzs, but it might actually be making you more tired. Constantly hitting the snooze button leaves you in sleep inertia, the state between being asleep and awake.
When you hit snooze, you can cause yourself to oversleep and disrupt your sleep cycles while throwing off your body’s internal clock, which will only make you groggy and restless as you start to ramp up your daily routine.
Build a habit of waking up right when your alarm goes off, and your body can carry that momentum into the rest of the day.
5. Get Light Exposure in the Morning
Our bodies are super interesting, and they can be influenced by many subconscious factors without us even realizing it. For example, light plays an important role in our sleep/wake cycle.
As we pointed out earlier, our circadian rhythm relies on us seeing sunlight, which tells the body that it is time to wake up and feel more alert. By waking up and going outside to enjoy some natural light, you can help kick your body into feeling alert and ready to take on the day.
6. Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle Overall
This isn’t a quick fix, but it is an effective one. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise and a healthy diet can go a long way toward helping you feel more energized. Performing moderate aerobic exercise for about 30 minutes a day is a great way to promote higher energy levels.
Then, add to this healthy lifestyle by following a balanced diet that includes fruits, veggies, and a balance of healthy protein without too many carbs. Including healthy supplements that give you additional nutrients can also contribute to a healthy lifestyle by supporting healthy organ function and all-around wellness.
Yes, maintaining a healthy lifestyle takes consistent work and some self-discipline, but it will pay off in the long run when you notice how much extra energy you have each day.
7. Eliminate Caffeine 6 Hours Before Bed
Caffeine can take a toll on your sleep even if you don’t drink it right before bed. You should avoid caffeine for as many as six hours before it’s time to hit the hay. Consuming caffeine can lead to less restful sleep, which can cause you to feel tired the next day.
For many, this might sound like a bummer since caffeine is a common morning pick-me-up, but the benefits really don’t outweigh the drawbacks. Fortunately, there are other ways to get that daily boost without relying on caffeine.
Proper nutrition that supports healthy cells can naturally support your energy levels without having a negative effect on sleep or a midday crash. So instead of that midday cup of coffee, try a Vitality Daily Greens Drink for an extra source of healthy energy. With exciting flavors like tart cherry, it will taste just as good as the benefits it provides.
The Bottom Line
Feeling tired after waking up doesn’t have to be part of life. Feeling more energetic each day starts with getting more sleep.
To keep your energy levels high, L’Evate You is here to help by providing nine greens and 30 superfoods in a simple greens powder. Drinking this powder daily can help nourish your cells and support healthy function all the way down to your body’s most basic building blocks.
Explore our complete collection of Vitality Daily Greens powders to start seeing the impact that this powerful formula can have on your health and energy.
Sources:
How Much Sleep Do I Need? | CDC
What Is Sleep Hygiene? | Sleep Foundation
Showering Before Bed | Sleep Foundation
Does Hitting the Snooze Button Help or Hurt? | Houston Methodist
Caffeine Effects on Sleep Taken 0, 3, or 6 Hours before Going to Bed | Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine