How to Wake up Feeling Rested and Energized

Sick and tired of waking up tired? No one can blame you.

For some people, it seems like a good night’s rest is something they can only fantasize about. Even though they can a decent amount of sleep each night, they still wake up the next morning feeling spent and exhausted.

So, what gives? Why aren’t you feeling good to go first thing in the morning, and what can you do to help your situation improve?

These tips will give you ideas on how to wake up feeling rested.

Have A Nighttime Routine

One thing many deep sleepers have in common? A nighttime ritual or routine.

Adding some degree of consistency to your evening actions and habits can help prepare your body for sleep. And while you can choose activities that promote restfulness (like some we’ll go over below), but that’s not even required.

Simply by following the same routine, you’re sending signals to your mind and body that you’ll be going to sleep soon. Although it can take a few days or weeks to see results, studies show that a set routine before bed can help you sleep more deeply.

Use Melatonin

Melatonin is a chemical made naturally by our bodies that helps us fall asleep. Made by pineal gland, it sends signals to your body to start to downshift and prepare for rest.

While the body naturally makes it, taking a melatonin gummies supplement can help get the process started, too. Each person produces different levels of melatonin, so taking it externally might help set your body up for sleep.

It’s worth noting that the level of melatonin in your body is related to the amount of light exposure you’re getting. So whether or not you’re taking a melatonin supplement, try minimizing light exposure.

We’ll go over a few examples of this later on.

Limit Caffeine Intake

Amazingly, one study found that 85 percent of Americans consume at least one caffeinated beverage per day. Caffeine has a natural ergogenic effect that helps us focus and speeds up our nervous system, making us feel more alert and ready to tackle the day.

However, one of the well-known side effects of caffeine is that it messes with sleep. It doesn’t matter if you’re getting caffeine from energy drinks or from drinking black coffee—the effects can be the same.

Caffeine has a half-life of four to eight hours, meaning that if you drink coffee after noon, you could easily still have it in your system when bedtime rolls around. Further, each person’s body responds to caffeine differently.

If you never wake up feeling well-rested, try reducing your caffeine intake or eliminating your morning coffee habit for a few weeks. If that doesn’t seem reasonable for you, simply try eliminating the afternoon or late morning intake so that it’s out of your system come bedtime.

Shut The TV An Hour Before Bed

As you now know, melatonin production can suffer if there’s too much light. The body adapted this way to prepare for sleep when the sun went down. But thanks to a large amount of artificial light we’re exposed to, there are more factors to consider nowadays.

Television, laptops, and smartphone screens all emit artificial light that has been proven to interfere with sleep. The light is called blue light, and it has been shown to decrease melatonin production even after the sun goes down.

As you attempt to craft a more rest-promoting nighttime, this should be a big consideration. Eliminating artificial light in the hours before bed—and limiting how much light is in your bedroom—can both be effective tools to help you feel more rested when you wake up.

Sleep In A Cool Room

Most of us have experienced a rough night’s sleep at some point due to heat and humidity. As it turns out, there’s science backing the fact that a room that’s too hot makes it hard to get restful sleep.

Studies have found that sleeping in a cold room can help you get to sleep faster and sleep deeper once you finally fall asleep.

Why does this happen? Your body’s core temperature naturally drops when you sleep. Since your body’s metabolism slows down, less activity means your body is not as warm.

The deepest stage of sleep, known as REM sleep, is when your body’s temperature is the coolest. By mimicking these cooler temperatures externally, you might be able to promote better rest.

Minimize Noise

Obviously, this final step is less controllable than all the others. But anything you can do to limit nighttime noises and distractions to stay asleep can be useful.

The body goes through several stages when you’re asleep. Each cycle lasts about 90 minutes, and only a fraction of that time is spent in deep, restorative sleep.

Interruptions can cause you to jump out of this natural cycle. This means that if you’re waking up a lot at night, you could be getting very little deep sleep (the stuff that actually repairs and restores you) even if you sleep eight or nine hours.

So silence your phone, shut the windows, and let those loud neighbors know—you need your rest.