Are you waking up feeling refreshed? The answer is probably not. One survey from punchy drinks found just 15 per cent of Britons wake up ready to go come morning.
This is particularly challenging this time of year. The clocks just went back, it’s dark, the weather is miserable, and leaving your bed (cosy, warm) for the real world (harsh, cold) is a daily uphill struggle.
It might make you feel better to know there are legitimate, biological reasons you’re struggling right now. Dr David Garley, GP and director of the Better Sleep Clinic, explains this is a phenomenon known as “sleep inertia”.
“In summer, as the sun gradually comes up before your alarm, you are drawn into shallower states of sleep so that when your alarm goes off it’s easy to wake up,” he explains. “In autumn and winter, because it’s often still dark, when your alarm goes off you might be in deep sleep still, and waking up from this depth can be tough. Its called sleep inertia.”
This is exacerbated by the relative lack of daylight in daytime hours, which knocks your circadian rhythm out of step so you feel groggy come morning, but ready to go late into the night.
The exact cause of sleep inertia is still unknown but it is thought to potentially be connected to the two chemicals our brain produces that are fundamental to our sleep cycle, explains Heather Darwall-Smith, UKCP-accredited psychotherapist specialising in sleep and neurodiversity.
“One strong explanation involves adenosine, a chemical that builds up in your brain the longer you are awake and creates sleep pressure,” she explains. “If you haven’t slept long enough, or the alarm drags you out of deep sleep, your brain may not have finished clearing the adenosine from the day before. You wake with some of yesterday’s sleep pressure still hanging around, a bit like a hangover.”
“Melatonin, a hormone that acts as a timekeeper for your circadian rhythm, plays a part too. On a dark winter morning, it can still be in your system when the alarm goes, so your body is effectively still in night-time mode.”
The good news is there are ways to make your autumn mornings less hellish and perhaps even feel refreshed. Here, sleep experts share the tips they recommend.
Don’t rush your waking
One of the most important things to do to shake off sleep inertia is give yourself the time to adjust. As Darwall-Smith puts it, “nobody is at their sharpest the moment their feet touch the carpet”. This extra time can be the difference between feeling groggy all day or realising that you actually didn’t sleep badly.
“If you wake up feeling shattered that doesn’t necessarily mean you haven’t slept well,” Dr Garley emphasises. “It’s important to give yourself a bit of time before you make an assessment of your sleep. Get up, have a shower, have a cup of coffee, leave it maybe 30 minutes or so and then see how you feel. That can sometimes tip the balance.”
Get natural light (or artificial natural light)
“Dark mornings mean that your body isn’t given the chance to gradually be drawn into shallow states of sleep,” Dr Garley explains. Light, therefore, can be used to awaken you more gently. “You can mimic sunrise with those daylight alarm clocks that are pretty good but can be expensive. On most phones you can get an app that makes the backlit display slowly come on and gradually lift you up out of deep sleep so you get less sleep inertia.”
On top of that, Darwall-Smith emphasises the importance of natural light, ideally within half an hour of waking. “That could be as simple as opening the curtains before you do anything else, standing at the backdoor with your tea, or switching on a light box if it’s still pitch black outside. Light tells your brain to stop making melatonin and you’ll start to feel more awake. Daylight is much brighter than indoor lighting, even on a grey day, so getting outside is worth the effort if you can manage it.”
Skip the snooze button
When you’re warm, relaxed and half-awake, pressing snooze is the easy option. But Darwall-Smith is emphatic that snoozing will only make the process worse. “It won’t leave you feeling more rested and it drags out your wake-up unneccessarily.”
Once your alarm has gone off, she says you do not have to get up immediately but you do have to shift from sleeping to waking. “One thing that helps: put the alarm on the other side of the room. Sit up, switch on a lamp, put your feet on the floor. That’s enough to get you going before you drift off again.” Light plus movement tell your brain the day has started. So open the curtains, stretch or even take the bins out to shake off the fug.
Anchor your wake time
If you’re not doing so already, Darwall-Smith says one of the most important things to do is have a consistent daily wake time, including weekends. “It’s not the most exciting advice, but it’s one of the most useful things you can do. A regular wake time keeps your body clock anchored, so throughout each day your melatonin rises and falls at a predictable time. That matters even more in winter, when shorter days can push your clock later and leave you feeling out of sync.”
Make the morning less shocking
“A phone alarm yelling at you at 6.45am is a startling way to wake up. A sound that builds slowly gives you a chance to surface gradually and get your bearings before you have to move.” Nature sounds and calming melodies are a good bet. She also recommends making your bedroom, beyond the bed, a bit more inviting. “Often the hard part is going from a warm duvet to a cold floor in one step. Soften it a bit: clothes laid out by the bed, a dressing gown within reach, slippers ready to step into.”
Have a warm bath or shower an hour or two before bed
Morning actions are important, but you can also set yourself up for a better rest the night before, adds Dr Clare Rooms, GP and insomnia service lead at Boots Online Doctor. “It might sound counter-intuitive, but warming yourself up before bed can actually help your body cool down to optimum sleep temperature afterwards (15-18°C). Try a warm bath or shower around one to two hours before bedtime, rather than immediately before getting into bed. Research suggests may help you fall asleep more quickly and improve perceived sleep quality.”
Block out as much light and sound as possible
We know that light and sound affect our ability to go to sleep, but Dr Garley says they can have a huge impact on the quality of our sleep. “We often think about sleep in terms of the number of hours we’ve been asleep but we should also be thinking about quality. This means making sure your room is completely dark and quiet.” Light and sound during the night puts you in a more shallow state of sleep, making it less restorative – light can be perceived through your shut eyelids, while sound makes you alert to potential intruders. “Even if you sleep for your typical seven to nine hours, if you wake up not feeling rested, it can sometimes be due to the sleeping environment.”
Build up sleep pressure in the day
Other ways to improve sleep quality are by building up adenosine and melatonin during the day, Heather says. Being active, particularly outdoors, builds up both chemicals making the sleep transition easier. She also recommends the classic health advice: watch the caffeine after early afternoon, go easy on the alcohol, and dim the lights in the evening to ease the transition.
Recognise that data isn’t everything
Dr Garley says that our perception of our sleep can play a major role in how we feel. “A lot of people use wearable tech and will look at their sleep score to set the tone of their day. But it’s well-known that sleep scores are very inaccurate, you could have actually slept very well. So giving yourself a bit of time and being open-minded about how you slept really does help.”
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