Have you ever enjoyed a lengthy and seemingly restful night of sleep, only to wake up feeling incredibly groggy and far from refreshed?
This is a frequent sleep issue, and numerous factors can lead to this experience.
It’s estimated that 50 to 70 million Americans face sleep disorders, and shockingly, one in three do not achieve the necessary amount of sleep.
Various elements like stress, hormone imbalances, alcohol, blood sugar fluctuations, and excessive screen exposure before bed might be hindering the quality of your sleep.
But if we manage to sleep well, why don’t we always wake up feeling revitalized and energized?
Unfortunately, it doesn’t always happen that way.
The specialists at TRT UK have shed light on why this happens and how it can be addressed.
“Waking up exhausted after what feels like a ‘full’ night’s sleep is more common than people know. The problem usually isn’t the number of hours you’ve been in bed. It’s the quality and structure of your sleep,” they shared.
“Sleep happens in cycles, moving between light sleep, deep sleep and REM sleep. Deep sleep is when physical restoration happens, while REM sleep is important for mood regulation, memory and mental focus. If these stages are interrupted by alcohol, stress, late-night scrolling, blood sugar triggers or even small breathing disturbances, you can technically sleep for seven or eight hours but still wake up feeling groggy.”
A significant factor is cortisol, which serves as the body’s natural ‘wake-up’ hormone.
“Cortisol is meant to rise slowly in the early morning to help you feel alert. If your stress levels are increased, your cortisol patterns can be dysregulated, leaving you feeling unrefreshed rather than awake,” they further explained.
“Hormones that support sleep and wakefulness, like cortisol and melatonin, work in a delicate rhythm. When that rhythm is disrupted by poor light exposure in the day, different bedtimes, or persistent stress, it can lead to that frustrating ‘I slept but I’m still tired’ feeling.”
There are several measures you can take to address this, and simply sleeping more may not be the solution.
Establishing a consistent sleep routine is essential, as the experts suggest: “First, focus on consistency. Going to bed and waking up at nearly the same time each day helps control your circadian rhythm, your internal body clock.”
Exposure to natural light shortly after waking is also beneficial.
“Get natural light within 30 minutes of waking up. Morning daylight triggers in the brain that it’s time to suppress melatonin and start waking up. Even just 10-15 minutes outdoors can make a significant difference,” they advised.
Although alcohol might initially make you feel relaxed or sleepy, it can significantly disrupt sleep.
Consuming a substantial amount of alcohol can reduce the duration of the REM sleep phase.
“Limit alcohol and heavy meals near bedtime, as both can fragment sleep cycles, lowering deep sleep quality without you even knowing,” the specialists advised.
Managing stress levels in the evening is equally important, as elevated cortisol levels before bed can significantly impact sleep quality.
“Slowly and gently create a wind-down routine reduce screen time, low lighting, a warm shower and simple breathing exercises will help signal to the nervous system that it’s safe to switch off,” they suggested.
“A great breathing method is inhale through your nose for four seconds, exhale through your mouth for six, and repeat for two minutes to assist the body in relaxing.”
“If fatigue continues even with good sleep patterns, it can be worth looking into underlying factors such as thyroid health, iron levels or a wider hormone imbalance. Ongoing insufficient sleep isn’t something you can just push through.”