Sleep WellbeingHow to Avoid Waking Up Groggy

There’s nothing more unpleasant than waking up and wishing you could just lay back down and fall asleep. However, for many of us, waking up groggy is a daily challenge. Even if you put in the effort to get enough sleep, there’s no assurance that you’ll feel refreshed when you wake up.

That groggy feeling you get when you first wake up in the morning is called Sleep inertia. You’re fatigued, a bit bewildered, and unsure if you’re ready to get started. Shift workers and security personnel, for example, are more likely to suffer from it. Sleep inertia may have a severe influence on critical tasks like driving and making decisions.

Sleep inertia is the sensation of grogginess, disorientation, drowsiness, and cognitive impairment that all at once follows when waking up. In most cases, sleep inertia lasts 15 to 60 minutes, although it can last up to a few hours after waking up. There is no known biological reasons why you may experience sleep inertia but researchers hypothesize that sleep inertia is a protective mechanism that aids in the maintenance of sleep during unwelcome arousals.

People with strong morning sleep inertia may be more likely to be confused during sleep arousal or sleep drunkenness in some instances. Sleep drunkenness, on the other hand, is like waking up from a deep sleep and feeling disoriented, confused, or having an adrenaline surge. Sleep drunkenness bypasses the sleep inertia phase, meaning your body and brain won’t get the chance to transition into the awakened phase.

The symptoms of sleep inertia usually fade within an hour for most people. Talk to your doctor if your sleep inertia lasts longer than that, or if you have severe daytime drowsiness throughout the day.

A perfect mattress may improve your sleep quality and help you feel more comfortable and rejuvenated when you wake up. Speak with one of our Sleep Consultants now to learn more about your sleep needs.