How to Deal With Morning Grogginess

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Some people are fortunate enough to leap out of bed in the morning ready to take on the day. Others suffer from a condition known as sleep inertia which is associated with excessive grogginess upon awakening. This effect can last anywhere from minutes to several hours. If you experience excessive morning grogginess, here are some steps you can take to overcome it.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Step1

If you take naps, limit them to ten to twenty minutes. Beyond this time period, you're likely to enter the deeper stages of sleep which can cause excessive grogginess upon awakening.

Step2

Force yourself to get up out of bed immediately upon hearing the alarm go off. Avoid the temptation to hit the snooze alarm and spend additional time lounging in bed. This will only make getting up more difficult. The sooner you start moving upon awakening, the quicker you'll overcome your morning grogginess.

Step3

Do a series of stretching exercises as soon as you wake up. Movement helps to increase blood flow to the muscles and to the brain and gets you into gear to take on the day. You may not feel like running a marathon but you can probably handle some simple stretching exercises.

Step4

Go to sleep and awaken at the same time each evening even on weekends. By doing this, your brain will anticipate your wake up time and more quickly adjust its level of alertness.

Step5

Avoid doing important activities or activities that require skill for the first hour after you wake up. This is when your brain is the most foggy and you'll be more likely to make mistakes.

Step6

Open your blinds immediately upon awakening. Light is one of the most effective ways to overcome morning grogginess.

Step7

Take a shower immediately upon awakening. A shower can also speed up the process of waking up and can help you overcome sleep inertia and morning grogginess.

Tips & Warnings

If your morning grogginess fails to respond to these measures, see your doctor. Sometimes a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea can cause severe morning grogginess.