Woke Up But Still Tired? Try These Tricks

If you find yourself feeling tired after some sleep, you might have sleep inertia. Sleep inertia means that upon waking up, you feel very tired. You’ll suffer from similar symptoms of sleep-deprivation, such as having a bad mood. Luckily, this feeling usually lasts 30 minutes. So, next time you wake up sleepy, try some of these tricks. ¹

Exercise

As soon as you wake up, you can start exercising. Since you just woke up, you shouldn’t do any intense or long exercises first thing in the morning. Try walking, climbing stairs, or squats.

Get caffeine

Good old caffeine. This drug works it’s magic by blocking adenosine receptors. Adenosine is a chemical made by your body to help you sleep. As a result, you’ll be more alert and awake. Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, and chocolate. ²

Coffee give you the jitters? Does coffee worsen your anxiety? Try a cup of green tea instead. While coffee has more caffeine, green tea has just enough to gently wake you up.

Go outside

Assuming it’s daylight when you woke up, go outside. The circadian rhythm in your brain determines whether it’s nighttime or daytime. If your circadian rhythm detects blue light (daytime), you’ll feel more energized.

Take a shower

The trick is to alternate between cold and warm water. Make the water as cold as possible and stand under the water for 30 seconds. Now make the water as hot as you can and stand under the water for 30 seconds. By doing this, you’ll have more blood flow, waking you up. ³