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Sandwichdude's avatar

How can I be less tired in the morning?

Asked by Sandwichdude (37points) December 7th, 2010

During the weekend, I naturally wake up at 8 or 9am, no matter how late I went to bed – usually around 2 or 3am. So I average about 6 or 7 hours of sleep per night during the weekend, but I never have trouble getting out of bed – I just naturally wake up and decide to start my day.

During the week though, I have to wake up at 7am to get ready for work. It seems like no matter how many hours of sleep I get the night before, I am always completely groggy, hit the snooze button 3 times, and can not bring myself to get out of bed. Whether I go to bed at 11, 12, or even 1am, I am never ready to wake up at 7. I have never naturally woken up at 7 or felt good and refreshed like I do during the weekend.

Why is it that I can get 7 hours of sleep from 2am to 9am and feel great, but from 12am to 7am I feel awful? How can I prevent this? Is it a dietary thing? Is there some sort of vitamin I should be taking? I imagine it has something to do with circadian rhythms, but how would I fix it?

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9 Answers

bellusfemina's avatar

Melatonin supplements can help you sleep very deeply, which will help you feel better in the mornings. Also, taking a B-complex vitamin will give you energy. These are natural remedies, but if you want something to REALLY get you keyed up and motivated and actually excited to go to work, ADD medication really helps me. (some days I’m even sad to go home becuase it makes work “fun” as weird as that sounds) Another thing to maybe try is buy a mini-trampoline to put in your living room. Bounce for a couple of minutes, and it helps to get your blood flowing.

marinelife's avatar

It sounds like your natural wake up time is 8 AM. Can you move closer to work so you can get up later?

Otherwise, getting up in time for morning exercise should help.

Coloma's avatar

Keeping to a healthy, fairly regular schedule is key.

I am the same way, wake early no matter what time I go to bed, sooo, I parent myself, as big boys and girls should do. lol

I put myself to bed at a decent hour consistantly, unless I have a speacial occasion or situation that prevents this.

I havn’t used an alarm clock in years. I go to bed on average around 9:30–10:30 and wake around 6— 6:30 all on my own.

Of course I am not a young partier anymore and those party nights are killer after 40 something. lol

tedd's avatar

I find a vitamin helps me wake up in the morning. Like a generic one-a-day or something.

downtide's avatar

Varying your getting-up time throughout the week may be the problem. If you can settle into a routine where you are getting up at the same time every day, even on days when you don’t work, but still going to bed at such a time as to give you sufficient sleep, then I suspect you’ll find it easier.

gondwanalon's avatar

I feel your pain. I’ve lived with an ever changing work schedule for the last 15 years and have never adapted to it. I rarely start work at the same time for 2 days in a row. Lets see, next week I start each day at different times (as usual) 09:30, 0830, 08:00, 0830, 16:00. I also work a couple of weekend days a month and start work at 07:00. Some shifts are 13 hours long. How do I deal with it? Well I have a “get tough of die attitude” and my hair is falling out and also I drink ½ to 1 can of an energy drink. Good luck!

YARNLADY's avatar

Get more exercise.

Kardamom's avatar

Sometimes our body clocks are just set to wake up “normally” at a different time. So if you have to get up earlier than your body wants to, just make sure you get at least your 7 or 8 hours, but as soon as the alarm goes off, turn on the lights or open the blinds. Being in the light really does help to fool your brain that it is time to get up. And for me having a quick cup of coffee and then immediately taking a hot shower is the finisher. If I don’t have all 3—light, coffee, hot shower, I will be tired the rest of the day. And also make sure to eat well, all year round, make sure you get enough Vitamin B (whether from food or from a supplement).

snowberry's avatar

You might first start with a visit to the doctor who should take a complete review of your past health. A simple Vitamin B or D deficiency can make it difficult to sleep, and make you tired all day. So can stressed out adrenals or underactive thyroid. All of these can be contributors to depression as well, as bring on other health issues.

In addition proper diet, a general vitamin supplement would likely help, as well as theraputic levels of other indicated vitamins.

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