Many people have difficulty in sleeping. They try many methods to get over the problem. Then there are others who start a confrontation with the alarm clock. In short, they sleep well, but cannot get up easily. If you are one of them, you are not alone. Research shows that millions of people have real difficulty waking up in the morning.
Sleep experts call them ‘owls’ because they are lazier than their animal counterparts. One reason may be that they do not get quality sleep. According to Dr Jon Sassin, Director of the Sleep Disorder Center at the University of California, the most common reason for not being able to get up in the morning is that they have not finished their sleeping yet.
You are expected to have at least seven hours of quality sleep. However, our lifestyle does not allow us to enjoy seven hours of sleep. This is a major problem faced by many of us who find it difficult to wake up in the morning. If you feel exhausted in the morning despite long hours of sleeping, there is a problem. If you wake up once or twice while sleeping, your normal pattern of sleep is disturbed. Some people wake up many more times during the night. Some people try to solve this problem by using earplugs.
The problem lies mainly where you sleep. For instance, a hot stuffy bedroom will lead to restlessness. A cool atmosphere will make it hard for you to emerge from the covers and face the day. For that matter the most comfortable bedroom temperature ranges from 59 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
On the other hand, if you sleep in a brightly-lit room, it will only confuse your brain. If you continue to sleep in such a bedroom, it will lead to morning exhaustion. Sleeping in a very dark bedroom can also become a hazard. Normally, the change from night to daytime brightness acts as nature’s alarm clock. As a result, you will find it difficult to wake up in a very dark bedroom.
Soothing music
Apart from brightness and darkness, noise can be another culprit that will make you exhausted in the morning. The noise you hear need not be very loud. Even a cricket’s noise can be disturbing. Some people play soothing music that promotes a good night’s sleep. If you get used to it, you will not be able to sleep without music.
According to the latest research, regular physical exercises will promote sleeping and waking up in the morning without a fuss. Some experts believe that exercises done immediately before going to bed is a stimulant. However, some people find it difficult to do any exercises immediately before going to bed. There are, however, many other methods to counter morning grogginess.
If you wish to get up easily in the morning, consume less caffeine before bedtime. Heavy coffee consumption is supposed to be the main cause of slow awakening. According to medical experts, those who drink too much coffee before bedtime tend to suffer withdrawal symptoms. A heavy dose of caffeine will make you somewhat sluggish in the morning. Instead of coffee, you may try chocolate milk or cocoa that will not disturb your awakening.
Sleeping pills
Nowadays doctors usually do not prescribe sleeping pills for extended periods. They expect people not to take sleep medications. This is because sleeping pills will relax the central nervous system to the point where it no longer effectively directs the respiratory process. Alcohol taken shortly before bedtime will also have a similar effect. You may have seen how those who booze at night struggling to wake up in the morning.
Due to various reasons people go to bed at different times. Some people go to bed as early as 8 p.m. There are others who do so past midnight. Although there are no hard and fast rules about the time you should go to bed, keep regular hours for sleeping. When once you choose a regular bedtime that will allow you to enjoy sleep and wake up and shine in the morning. Stick to the schedule even on non-working days.
What should you do as soon as you wake up? Do something you enjoy. Some people go for a walk immediately after waking up. Others observe religious rituals. In recent times, people do yoga exercises or meditation early in the morning. Whatever you do, do it with vim, vigour and vitality. If you get used to a particular activity, you will enjoy all the other activities that will follow.
Night-owl syndrome
Wake-up problems are not so easy to deal with. Modern day stress, dieting and emotional problems will weigh heavily in the morning. There may be reasons for you to get angry over something that has gone wrong or you may be suffering from the night-owl syndrome which is one of the commonest causes of morning distress. If you feel frustrated in the morning, the day is doomed to fail.
What time should you get up in the morning? This again varies from person to person. It is always good to wake up at dawn because your body temperature is at its lowest at that time. It will rise in the afternoon and you will feel drowsy. Some experts recommend that you should have a short nap on such occasions. By 11 p.m. drowsiness will set in. Night-owls, however, do not achieve peak temperature and performance levels until evening. Their body temperature will not rise until the wee hours of the morning.
If necessary, you can reschedule your sleeping hours according to your wishes. If you are preparing for an examination, bedtime hours can be changed. Delaying bedtime on a progressive schedule is quite possible. Stick to the new schedule for about one week and it will become a routine thereafter.
People who suffer from narcolepsy also have trouble waking up refreshed. A major symptom is propensity for dozing off without warning at inappropriate times. Somewhat related to narcolepsy is sleep drunkenness, an inability to come to a state of complete wakefulness.
Medical experts say it is caused by a chemical imbalance in the body. If you have any of these problems, you need medical help. Similarly, if you have a serious problem of awakening, you need to consult a doctor.
When it comes to awakening, Samuel Johnson’s prophetic words still ring in my ears: “I have, all my lifelong, been lying till noon; yet I tell all young men, and tell them with great sincerity, that nobody who does not rise early will ever do any good.”
