Increased cortisol levels
Cortisol is the fight or flight hormone, so if something goes bad then your cortisol levels will get higher. You have to have low cortisol levels in order to fall asleep. Serotonin goes hand-in-hand with cortisol, this is because it gets activated when you become more relaxed with the low levels of cortisol. Therefore, make sure your cortisol levels are balanced.
Post viral fatigue
Those who have just got rid of a viral infection may experience feeling tired afterwards. However, be warned, sometimes this feeling of tiredness can last months – or even years – depending on how bad the infection may be. Glandular fever is the worst virus for this, but another can be COVID-19.
Eating before bed
Do you often eat before bed? This could be the cause of you waking up tired – because your body is still digesting while you were in bed. For example, pepperoni pizza is a major culprit for acid-reflux and heart burn. Along with this, consuming alcohol before bed can have a rebound effect where it takes five hours for the alcohol to leave your system.
Poor sleep
Obviously, a key culprit to a lacking night’s sleep is not sleeping well. There can be a myriad of reason as to why you can’t drift off – all impacting your welfare the next day. Consider drinking a cup of chamomile tea before bed to help you slip into a slumber more peacefully.
Stress
Another common cause of waking up tired is stress – with your mind constantly on edge. It’s easy to get into a vicious circle of not addressing you problems when you experience high stress levels, and this goes along with either not sleeping at all or sleeping too much to avoid them. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a big cause of this also during the winter months.
Sleep inertia
Sleep inertia is what happens when we have cognitive or sensory-motor impairments associated with sleep even after waking up. It normally happens after a deep sleep when the brain is not yet fully awake afterwards, leading to the feeling of exhaustion and fatigue some experience when waking up.
Lack of exercise
It has been proven that those who do regular exercise sleep much better than those who don’t. This is because exercise affects your body temperature, anxiety and your brains alertness, which all affect your ability to sleep. The better night’s sleep you get, the less fatigued you feel. However, don’t exercise too close to bedtime as this can damage your sleep!
Poor sleeping habits
Poor sleeping habits can include a lack of regular routine, sleeping environments that are too hot or loud, and screen use within two hours before bedtime. The best thing to do to stop yourself from feeling tired in a morning is to set a routine in place that allows you to have set routine in place that’s healthy for your sleeping.
Dehydration
Dehydration can affect the muscles in a negative way, forcing your body to reject sleep. It can cause muscle cramping when you sleep, or slight twitches in the night which may wake you up. Also, late night drinking can cause dehydration so it’s crucial you drink enough water during the day to avoid this.
Too much screen time
We’re all guilty of scrolling through social media into the wee hours of the night, then acting surprised when we feel groggy the next day. The blue light emitted from your cell actually tricks your brain into thinking it’s sunlight, confusing your system when you try to hit the hay moments after putting your phone down.
Your pillow situation
How many pillows you have can drastically affect your quality of sleep. Too many, and you may find that your head is forced into odd angles. Too little, and you’re laying flat, resulting in uncomfortable bouts of neck ache that’ll leave you tossing and turning throughout the night.
Eating too much junk food
What you put into your body directly correlates to how you feel. If you’re constantly feeding your gut fatty, salty foods, it should come as no shock that you’ll feel sluggish and groggy. Switch up your diet – eating more fruits and veggies will give you more energy than you could ever imagine.
Having an uncomfortable mattress
If you’re wondering why you’re still waking up bleary-eyed, maybe it’s time to take a look at your mattress. Different types of mattresses suit different people – whether it’s soft, firm, feathered, or memory foam. If you can’t afford to splash the cash on a new mattress, consider giving it a flip.
A lack of vitamin B6
If there’s one vitamin you want to ensure you’re getting enough of, it’s B6. A deficiency in the vitamin can manifest as depression, insomnia, and brain fog. Incorporate foods such as tuna, chickpeas, and eggs into your diet to give yourself a boost of vitamin B6, or consider purchasing a supplement.
Lack of flotation therapy
Flotation therapy is a natural and holistic way to increase body health and wellness. It helps individuals maintain all symptoms that affect the body’s physical and mental health. Therefore, it’s a method to try aim for a better sleep. It helps with issues like anxiety, depression, stress and insomnia.
A failure to slip into REM
REM, or rapid eye movement, is the part of our sleep that’s the deepest, regenerating our cells and soothing our tired souls. REM is important for memory, cognitive function, and mood – making it vitally important that you slip into it at some point during the course of your slumber.
Depression
A key indicator of depression is a constant sense of fatigue. Even simple tasks like getting out of bed or cleaning your teeth will require a great deal of effort, carrying around a mental weight that doesn’t seem to shift. If you think you’re suffering from depression, seek out help from a medical professional.
Sleeping disorders
There’s an array of sleeping disorders that impact your energy levels. Sleep apnea is the most common ailment, a condition that results in rapid, short breaths, causing numerous wake-ups throughout the night. Obesity, a poor lifestyle, and hormone fluctuations can all bring about sleep-busting conditions.
A failure to meditate
If you’re forever waking up tired, unable to shake the pull of sleep as you journey through your day, consider meditating. The process stills the mind, giving yourself a moment of relaxing, soul-soothing clarity. Studies have shown that meditating every day can improve both sleep quality and energy levels.
Anxiety
If you’re awake into the early hours of the night, constantly stressing about every aspect of your life, you could suffer from anxiety. Anxiety is more than just worrying – it’s a deep, overwhelming sensation that can trigger terrifying panic attacks. This mental illness can keep you up at night, while depleting your energy throughout the day.
Loud noises at night
Perhaps your sleep is plagued by loud noises – whether it’s inconsiderate family members or shouting passersby. If this is the case, consider listening to some white noise as you slumber. The constant static drowns out any background noise, quieting your brain, allowing you to snooze without interruption.
Too much caffeine
Tea and coffee pump our system with adrenaline-fueled compounds, keeping us active and alert. Drinking too much of the sweet stuff, however, can have detrimental effects on your energy levels. When the caffeine wears off, you’ll experience a hefty dose of tiredness. In particular, drinking caffeine before bed can lead to fatigue-filled mornings.
Putting on weight
Piling on a few pounds can lead to reduced energy levels, with your heart struggling to pump blood effectively throughout your body. This can particularly hit hard in the mornings, with your body having worked overtime throughout the night, resulting in a sluggish, fatigued mentality.
A bedroom that’s too hot – or cold
Your environment will dictate the quality of sleep you get. If your bedroom’s too hot, you’ll sweat throughout the night, eventually becoming dehydrated. Too cold, and your body will wake you up with a stir, urging you to move to warm yourself up. Use a fan or a heater to ensure your bedroom’s temperature is just right.
Napping during the day
When you’re battling constant fatigue, it can be tempting to catch up on precious shut eye by napping throughout the day. This is a vicious cycle – not only will you wake up feeling groggy and disorientated, but you’ll also find it harder to sleep at night, leading to more bleary-eyed mornings.
An inconsistent sleep schedule
Sleeping at erratic times will result in mornings plagued with tiredness. If you go to sleep at 2am one night and 9pm the next, your body doesn’t know whether it’s coming or going, unable to regulate REM patterns. Try and drift off at the same time each night, ensuring you get those eight hours of beauty sleep.
Your partner keeps you awake
Sometimes, the level of rest you get isn’t up to you. If your partner disturbs your slumber by constantly snoring or tossing and turning, you’re likely going to wake up feeling groggy. Consider asking your partner to explore sleep therapy, or even sleeping in different bedrooms.
Chronic fatigue
If you slept like a baby but still feel tired, it may be nothing whatsoever to do with your sleeping habits. You may be suffering from chronic fatigue, a long-term condition with numerous side effects. If you can’t pinpoint the source of your tiredness, it’s best to speak to a medical professional.
Not tracking your sleep
If you’re left scratching your head about why you’re waking up tired every morning, it may be worth tracking your sleep. Numerous apps are available to keep an eye on how well you slumbered, taking note of the number of times you wake up, how much deep sleep you have, and your REM cycles.
A lack of sunlight
Surprisingly, the amount of sunlight you experience in a day can correlate to how well you sleep at night. This is due to your melatonin levels – which are dependent on sunlight, impacting your circadian rhythm. If you’re feeling tired, try and soak up some rays – it’ll give you a deeper, more peaceful slumber.
Teeth grinding
Waking up to the sensation of your teeth grinding together is never pleasant. Not only can it lead to an array of dental issues, it also influences how refreshed you feel the following morning. Teeth grinding is usually a symptom of something deeper at play, usually related to stress, depression, or anxiety.
Too many fluids
Although staying hydrated is important, drinking too much h20 before you hit the hay can lead to a night of frequent wake-ups, with the call of the bathroom beckoning. Avoid drinking heap loads of water before you go to bed. Instead, simply sip on a small glass to keep both dehydration and urination at bay.
Certain medications
Some prescriptions can alter your mood and energy levels. Some can keep you up at night, while others can coat your brain in an immovable fog, making simple tasks difficult to complete. Have a look at the side effects of any medications you may be taking to discover how they may relate to your fatigue.
Nightmares
Being frequently woken up throughout the night by stomach-dropping nightmares is far from being a pleasant experience. Many people suffer from chronic, repeated nightmares, making going to sleep an anxiety-inducing affair. If your slumbering hours are plagued by nightmares, consider sleep therapy options.
Snoring
It’s not just our spouses that can keep us up by snoring – we can often be woken up by our own moans and groans. Grunting yourself awake with a start is a frustrating affair – but it can be avoided. There are numerous causes of snoring, including weight gain, a poor sleeping position, and sleep acnea.
A poor sleeping position
The way you position yourself of a night will directly impact the quality of your sleep. If you fall asleep in an awkward, uncomfortable position, you can be sure that you’ll be tossing and turning throughout the night, disrupting those precious REM cycles. Invest in mattress toppers or a leg pillow to ensure you drift off comfortably.
Sleep paralysis
Those who suffer from sleep paralysis know how truly terrifying it is. Unable to move your body but with an overactive, panicked mind, the condition leads to a night filled with terror. Nobody knows what truly causes sleep paralysis, but a poor lifestyle can worsen the symptoms.
Sleeping too much
It may sound counterintuitive, but getting too much sleep can make you feel tired in the mornings. Your body gets so used to being into a comatose state that it’s hard to arise it from its slumber, leading to a groggy head and a muddy mind. Stick to the recommended amount of around eight hours to feel refreshed.
You spend too much time in your bedroom
Working, relaxing, and sleeping in the same environment can affect how well you sleep. If you spend all of your time in the same location, your brain struggles to differentiate between what task is at hand. While you may be laying under the covers, your mind thinks it’s time to log onto your laptop, causing a broken slumber.
A poor lifestyle
Everything about your lifestyle can affect your energy levels. A lack of minerals, smoking, and minimal physical activity can all contribute to low energy levels. If you’re constantly tired, take a good look at every aspect of your lifestyle – there’s a good chance there’s something you can improve on.