Wake Up When You Are Tired

Do you pull the covers up higher when you hear that dreaded alarm go off in the morning? If you long to be the type who springs out of bed and cheerfully gets on with the day, there are really simple tricks you can try to help yourself wake up when all you want to do is sleep. Giving yourself a lift if you get sleepy throughout the day is achievable, too. You may never become a morning person, but you can successfully perk yourself up! See Step 1 to get started.

Steps

Getting Energized in the Morning

  1. Get excited about your plans for the day.[1] Remember when you were a little kid, and you'd hop up as soon as your eyes opened in the morning? Back then you were carefree and happy to get up and begin all the fun activities the day held in store. It's harder to get out of bed when you aren't looking forward to going to work or school, but if you focus on the good things that will happen that day, you'll be able to wake yourself up faster. So,always look forward for a bright day. Try it tomorrow: as soon as you wake up, think about the best thing about the day, and let your heart race a bit in anticipation.
    • This is easy to do on your birthday and fun holidays, but you'll have to get creative to wake up with a smile on rainy gray Mondays. Even if you don't have a big event to anticipate, think about the little things that make you happy on a daily basis: walking your dog. Drinking that first cup of coffee. An alternative to coffee is chocolate, (flavonoids) especially 70% cocoa and darker, but if eaten too late in the day sleep deprivation may occur. Talking on the phone with your best friend after a hard day's work. Getting your favorite takeout on the way home. Whatever it is, think about it first thing when you wake up.
  2. Let the sun shine in. Does your room get natural light in the morning? If not, you're missing out on nature's most effective wake-up call. When the sun streams through your windows in the morning, your brain naturally knows it's time to start moving. But if you have blackout curtains and don't get decent light in the AM, you're going to feel groggy until you go outside.[2]
    • If you have thick curtains to block out lights from the street, try getting shades in neutral colors that effectively block most artificial light, but still let your room brighten up when the sun rises.
  3. Drink a big glass of water. Going 8 hours without drinking water (while you're asleep) is enough time for your body to get a little dehydrated, which can make you feel sleepy. Wake up to a big glass of cool water to start your day off right. You'll feel more alert within minutes.
    • If you want to be able to drink water while you're still in bed, fill up a small thermos with ice the night before and keep it on your bedside table. In the morning the ice will be mostly melted and you'll have a cup of cool water ready to drink.
    • Drink water before you grab coffee or tea.
    • Wash your face with cool water, too. It helps lower your body temperature, lifting you out of your warm, sleepy state.
  4. Brush your teeth with peppermint toothpaste.[3] The smell of peppermint stimulates your body's trigeminal nerve, giving you an energy boost. Brushing your teeth with peppermint toothpaste first thing is a great way to perk up. Do it before you have anything to eat, since brushing immediately after eating isn't very good for your teeth.
    • If you don't like peppermint toothpaste, keep a bottle of peppermint essential oil or a few peppermints on hand and inhale the the scent deeply. This will have the exact same effect as using peppermint toothpaste.
  5. Read an article or two. Engaging your mind is another good way to start your motor running in the morning. Read a few interesting stories or watch some videos. You'll be so busy learning something new that you won't have time to think about how sleepy you are.
    • Reading email or a book - as long as the content is interesting - has the same effect.
    • You could also listen to the radio or turn on the TV.
  6. Move your body. Going from the prone position to an active one will certain help you rise and shine. You know how cartoon characters always stretch when they get out of bed? That's actually a really helpful way to aid your circulation and make you feel more awake. If you're not into stretching, here are a few other things to try:
    • Take a short walk outside.
    • Do last night's dishes.
    • Make your bed and straighten your room.
    • Do jumping jacks.
    • Jog around the block.
    • Better yet, do 30 minutes of cardio exercise, like running, swimming or biking.
  7. Have breakfast. They call it the most important meal of the day for good reason; the protein, carbohydrates and fats you eat in the morning keep your body healthy and get you off to a good start. On those days when you just don't want to wake up, let yourself indulge a bit. Let yourself take the time to have coffee, a grapefruit, and an omelet instead of stuffing down a piece of dry toast as you rush out the door.

Perking Up Midday

  1. Get a change of scene. Even if it's just a 10-minute walk around your office building, putting yourself in a different environment for a bit helps your brain stay active and engaged. When you find yourself getting drowsy, you'll be a lot more productive if you go ahead and take that break.
    • If you can go outside, do it - even if its raining or freezing outside. The change in temperature will shock your body out of it's afternoon lull.
    • Get up and walk around frequently. When you sit in one place for too long, your circulation is impacted - and that has a big effect on your state of mind.
  2. Eat an orange or grapefruit. The smell of citrus boosts serotonin, the hormone that puts you in a positive, uplifted mood.[4] Having some orange or grapefruit wedges - or any other type of citrus - is a great way to overcome your mid-afternoon slump. Even squeezing a lemon into your glass of water can help.
  3. Drink ginseng tea. Ginseng is a natural stimulant that improves brain function. Having a cup of ginseng tea or taking 100 milligrams of ginseng extract can help improve your focus. Also, It will help your brain to feel refreshed.
    • Ask your doctor before taking supplements. Ginseng should be avoided if you have high blood pressure.[4]
  4. Avoid caffeine and sugar later in the day. You might crave a latte and a cookie when 4:00 rolls around, but caffeine and sugar will only cause you to crash after a temporary high. For sustained energy and alertness, drink water or tea instead of coffee, and heat a high-protein snack like almonds.
  5. Listen to upbeat music. Maybe you don't think you're in the mood, but it can't hurt to give it a try! Put on the kind of music you usually dance to come Friday night. Soon your feet will be tapping and your head will be nodding - you won't be able to help yourself. Your slightly elevated heart rate will help you perk back up in no time.
  6. Take a power nap. Instead of resisting the urge to close your eyes, give in! Taking a 15 to 20 minute nap will go a long way toward helping you feel much more alert.[5] An afternoon nap might be just what you need to get through the rest of the day, especially if you didn't sleep well the night before.

Making Lifestyle Changes

  1. Get lots of exercise. Wearing yourself out during the day is the best way to make sure you sleep well at night and feel rested on a daily basis. If your lifestyle is primarily sedentary, this change can make a really big difference. Start small by incorporating 30 minutes of walking into your day, either before or after work or school. If you find you enjoy the exercise, try jogging, biking or swimming to amp things up a bit. You can also wear yourself out gradually by adopting the following habits:
    • Take the stairs instead of riding the elevator to your floor.
    • Get off the subway a few stops short of your usual stop, and walk the rest of the way home.
    • Try the 7-minute method for working out all of your muscle groups every morning.
  2. Watch what you eat after 8:00. Eating or drinking later at night can affect your sleep. Your body isn't able to rest as fully when it's trying to digest food. Try to eat earlier dinners and avoid snacking past 8:00 for a better night's sleep.
    • Drinking alcohol can also affect your sleep. It might make you sleepy at first, but it can prevent you from reaching the deepest stage of sleep. That's why you're likely to feel tired the morning after drinking, even if you crashed for more than 8 hours.[6]
  3. Keep electronics out of the bedroom. Do you check your email and read news articles until the moment you turn out the lights? It's likely that your mind is buzzing with tomorrow's to-do list and controversial political topics when you should be winding down mentally and emotionally for the night. Help yourself feel calm and peaceful by keeping your electronics off before bedtime.
    • Leave your laptop in another room, or at least power it down instead of leaving it on and easily accessible.
    • If you have to leave in your room because it's your alarm, then put it across the room to still hear it.
    • Decorate Your Bedroom by filling it with soft pillows, candles, muted colors, and calming scents - nothing that makes beeping sounds or has wires.
  4. Have a schedule. Going to sleep at the same time every night and getting up at the same time every morning can help you get better rest. If you stay up til 2 AM and sleep in on the weekends, then get up at 6 AM the following Monday, your body will be playing catch-up the whole day. Try to stick to a healthy schedule that won't confuse your internal clock.
    • Try to avoid having to have an alarm, if you can. Let your body's natural clock wake you up instead. Waking up naturally will help you be more alert throughout the day, since you aren't forcing your body into a state it isn't prepared for.

Tips

  • Put your finger just under your eyes and then rub your finger in circles, it wakes your eyes up.
  • Wet a face cloth then put in the freezer for 15 minutes then put it on your face.
  • Try to get 7-9 hours of sleep.
  • Throw your pillows off your bed so you can't relax and go back to sleep. Set your alarm clock far away from your bed so that you will have to get up!
  • Open a window and let the fresh air in (especially if the air is cold).
  • Be sure to get enough sleep the next night and continuously so that you are not tired when you get up!
  • As soon as you wake up get out of bed and take your duvet into another room, then it is unlikely you will fall back asleep, especially when it's cold!
  • Drink tea and run around.
  • Chew gum with a strong mint flavor!
  • As soon as you get out of bed take a shower.
  • Set your alarm sound to one of your favorite songs if possible, so it will perk you up and you might even start dancing!
  • Brushing your teeth helps too.
  • Splash water on your face as soon as you wake up.
  • Splash your face with water, and rub on the back of your neck. Try doing some stretches before getting out of bed, too.
  • Make sure you have a good and healthy breakfast (I know that it is hard to resist those 5 slices of bacon in the morning but try your hardest!)!
  • Electronics keep you awake, so put away your iPad way before bedtime.
  • Throw your warm blankets off, force yourself to be cold.
  • If you do have an alarm, put it on the other side of the room. This way you will have to get up to snooze it. Chances are, you won't be very sleepy after this and will get up faster!
  • Walk around, dunk your head into freezing cold water or go for a shower and make sure you wash your face thoroughly, don't go back to bed or lay down.
  • Do some yoga to help stretch the body.
  • Listen to upbeat music that you know the lyrics to.
  • Open your eyes really wide and let all the sun come in your room through the windows.
  • Have someone to wake you up if possible. Have them turn on the light then you want to keep looking directly at the light which adjust your eyes from night mode to day mode.
  • Turn on the lights. It can help you get started with your day, as it's the first thing many people do.

Warnings

  • Don't listen to hard rock too loud. Especially if you use headphones. This could damage how well you hear.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/25/tricks-waking-up-sleep_n_2718257.html
  2. ↑ http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-wake-up-earlier-2013-1
  3. ↑ http://www.realsimple.com/health/mind-mood/emotional-health/easy-instant-energy-boosters-00000000035868/page6.html
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://www.motherearthliving.com/natural-health/wake-up-energize-with-natural-energy-boosters.aspx
  5. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/the-secret-and-surprising-power-of-naps
  6. ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/17/alcohol-side-effects-drinking-sleep_n_3286434.html
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