How to Wake Up Feeling More Energised in Darker Mornings, Says Sleep Expert

Comfybedss has recently discovered that the search term, “how to wake up less tired” recieves over 1,000 searches a month, on average, with it typically spiking over Autumn and Winter.

In response to this, Dr Deborah Lee, Sleep Expert from Doctor Fox, working alongside Comfybedss, discusses how you can help yourself wake up less groggy in the mornings and feel more refreshed.

Breakfast is key

“It might be easy to just grab a breakfast bar or put some bread in the toaster, but a breakfast that is rich in both carbohydrates and protein should make you feel more alert quickly. 

Eggs are a great source of protein, so if you have the time to whip up an omelette full of your favourite meats and cheeses, that should do the trick. 

Eating something too sugary first thing in the morning, like some cereals, can often spike your blood sugar that could make you feel more groggy in the mornings.”

Morning Exercise

“There aren’t many people who wake up in the morning and get excited by the thought of morning exercise. However, research has shown that doing a 30-minute workout with a medium effort will help you wake up a lot quicker than if you weren’t to reduce sleepiness. 

It doesn’t have to be a major HIIT workout, but even just a speed-walk around the block should help those tired eyes!”

Protect your circadian rhythm

“Your circadian rhythm is the pattern your body follows to know when it’s time to sleep and time to wake up. 

A huge factor in this is routine, and ensuring you’re going to sleep at the same time each night and waking up at the same time each morning. 

It isn’t just your sleeping pattern that needs to be kept in routine, but your daily meals, your shower and bath routine and your technology “switch off” time.

It may be a little harder on a weekend – but if you push through, then it will make your Monday wake-up a lot easier!”

Light up the room

“When your eyes see light in the morning, it gives signals to your brain that it’s time to wake up. If you have blackout curtains, then this can be really confusing for the mind. Invest in a night lamp so that you can put it on first thing in the morning. Or, a Happy Lamp, which around 1,300 people are searching for on Google each month, showing the increase in its popularity. 

These lamps will wake you, so it won’t be such a shock to the eyes when there’s a big, bright light next to you! 

However, if you can utilise natural light by opening the curtains and getting outside as soon as possible, then that’s a better option.”

Avoid coffee

“Naturally, when we wake up, the first thing we want to do is grab a coffee to actually wake up properly. 

However, you shouldn’t be reaching for the caffeine until at least 45 minutes after you wake up, as this is when the caffeine will give you the biggest fix.”

At Sleep Magazine, we believe everyone deserves to get better sleep with advice that fits real life.