When you struggle to get out of bed in the morning, you not only have an annoying, stressful workday ahead of you but also feel dog-tired. That’s in spite of the restful weekend you just had.

So why is it so hard to wake up in the morning, how would you make it easier? Here are a few pointers.

Understanding Sleep

Before you can grasp why you can’t seem to get out of bed in the morning, you may have to understand sleep. You may think of sleep as a passive activity, but it’s dynamic. Your brain is active even as you lie dozing away in bed. Neurons create neurotransmitters such as serotonin. These chemicals keep the brain functioning as you take a vacation to Dreamland.

You move through the five stages of sleep and awaken quickly during the first stage, which is light sleep. If this happens, you may have visions or remember your dreams. In Stage 2, brain waves known as Sleep Spindles start to form and it’s harder to wake you. It’s an even greater task to wake you during Stages 3 and 4 when your brain starts to produce Delta waves.

All this information shows that the deeper your sleep, the sleepier you’ll feel when you wake up. If you had a night of deep sleep, you’d find it a chore to get up in the morning to go to work.

In general, a working adult needs about seven hours of sleep a day. That number decreases as a person ages. If you feel drowsy during exciting daytime activities, it may mean that you’re suffering from sleep deprivation.

6 Reasons You Can’t Get Up In The Morning

Not being able to get up in the morning can weigh you down, but don’t fret. There’s a lot you can do about it. Start by understanding why it’s such a chore.

1. Irregular Bedtimes

You feel sleepy or wakeful depending on your sleep cycle. You’ll feel either way depending on your Circadian rhythms, which control your rising and bedtime.

If you disrupt this pattern by going to bed later than you should, you’ll shift your sleep and wake times. Of course, this means that you’ll feel sleepy during the day and wide awake at night.

2. Sleeping Late On Weekends

It also means that you might have to sacrifice your weekend sleep-ins. Sleeping in late on weekends changes your sleep-wake cycle as well. It will explain why you find it so hard to get up on a Monday.

3. You Hit The Snooze Button

You hit the snooze button and snuggle back under the covers, hoping to get some extra shuteye. And you probably do. The problem with this is that you put yourself back into a sleep-wake cycle. You’ll return to Stage 3 or 4 sleep, which means that you’ll feel even sleepier than before when you rise. Experts suggest that you set your alarm instead.

4. Genetics

The bad news about sleep-wake cycles is that your genes decide them. Whether you’re a night owl or daytime lark depends on which your parents are. Unfortunately, night owls will struggle to get up in the mornings.



5. The Weather and the Time Of Year

There’s a reason it’s hard to get up when it’s cold or rainy. Winter is one of the best times to stay in bed.

Our sleep-wake patterns work on light. Nature programmed your body to get up when it starts to shine. It needs Vitamin D, which sunlight supplies. It guides your alertness. Since it’s darker during winter, or when it rains, your body will receive less of it. Of course, you’ll feel sleepier.

6. Phones and Tablets

When you go to bed tonight, remember to turn your phone or tablet off. Sleep experts suggest that the light they give out stops your body from producing melatonin. It’s the chemical that helps your body to shut down. The concern with the backlight has prompted tech companies to decrease it in the devices they produce.

Tips to Help You If You Can’t Get Up In The Morning

Besides regulating your sleep-wake cycle, there’s a lot you can do if you can’t get up in the morning.

First of all, exercise to energize your mind and body. It’ll also boost your fitness. Setting your alarm for 6 a.m. when you usually get up at seven won’t work if you want to make an instant change. Your body will need to adjust. Set your alarm a minute earlier each day instead. Do so until you reach your goal.

Another way to wake up earlier is to use peer pressure. Your friends will help you become accountable to your goals. By getting your friends to wake you up, you’ll develop a reputation for following through.

You can also structure your environment to make it conducive to waking up. Put your clock away from you so that you’ll have to get up to turn it off. You can use the timer function on your coffee pot so that it’s ready when you get out of bed.

Also, think about what you’re doing to stop yourself from waking up. Perhaps you didn’t get out of bed because it was too cold. You could prepare a robe so that you won’t find it freezing in the morning.

Finally, give yourself a reason to wake up early. Associate your mornings with something you like. For example, mornings could mean a hearty plate of bacon and eggs.

Take steps to regulate your sleep-wake cycle if you can’t wake up in the morning.

References:

  1. https://healthfinder.gov/

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