While some people love the first light of the day, others would rather remain under their blankets. Most likely, if you’re a night owl, you always belong to the latter category.
Sleep inertia affects night owls more often than early birds, according to research, and although it passes after a while, it can linger for thirty to sixty minutes at a time (1).
It’s safe to assume that nobody enjoys feeling gloomy, foggy, and mentally disoriented for the first hour of the day. Fortunately, you can increase your energy levels as soon as you wake up and possibly even before thanks to the way your bedroom is designed. Below are four tips with studies to support them.
4 Simple Habits for an Energized Start
1. Set out a yoga mat the evening before.
Even though doing intense exercise first thing in the morning might seem impossible, studies have shown that yoga can be energizing and help with both physical and mental weariness (2). Additionally, getting into a fast flow in the morning might encourage greater mindfulness throughout the rest of the day.
The only thing left to do in the morning is get to the mat because they can utilize their nighttime energies to set up their yoga space and attire before turning in.
2. Organize a space for aromatherapy.
Some smells are said to be stimulating and cognitively enlightening. Take peppermint, which may help prevent mental weariness, and lemon, which has been demonstrated in mouse experiments to reduce stress and enhance focus (3, 4). Naturally, each person has a very different sense of smell, so if these don’t suit you, burn a candle or fill a diffuser with scents that do
3. Install and program smart blinds for the A.M.
Our circadian rhythm is mostly regulated by light, thus exposure to daylight can enhance alertness and cognitive function even in the wake of minor sleep deprivation (5).
There is more to sleep inertia than just reducing it, according to research, when one looks at bright light shortly after waking up. It’s also been demonstrated that exposing yourself to light right before waking up in the last phases of sleep helps minimize morning tiredness. Even with your eyes closed, light can affect your circadian rhythm! (6)
Because of this, those who tend to be night owls could find it advantageous to get smart blinds that have an automated opening feature. Experiment with different morning light-in hours to find which routine gives you the most energy when you wake up.
4. Turn on a digital alarm clock or play music over the speakers.
Research indicates that music can help dispel the gloomy shroud of morning grogginess and can instantly change our mood. According to one study, people who listened to music for 20 minutes after waking up from a nap felt less drowsy and performed better on a test measuring reaction speed (7).
To get the benefits of the music, participants didn’t even have to like it, though listening to their favorite songs seemed to make a bigger difference.
Related Post: Improve Sleep Quality with This Unexpected Sleep Sound
Create a playlist of three to four songs to listen to for the first twenty minutes of your morning in your bedroom to test this result. To kick off the day appropriately, play them on a smart alarm clock or speaker.
To Wrap Things Up
By making simple yet strategic changes to your morning environment, you can significantly improve how you feel when you wake up. Incorporating yoga, aromatherapy, smart lighting, and music into your routine can help you shake off sleep inertia and start your day with more energy and clarity.
These practices not only combat the grogginess that night owls often face but also promote a more mindful and productive morning. Give these tips a try and transform your mornings from sluggish to vibrant. After all, a well-designed start to the day sets the tone for everything that follows.
Sources |
- Waking up is the hardest thing I do all day: Sleep inertia and sleep drunkenness – PMC (nih.gov)
- Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life – PMC (nih.gov)
- Volatile Terpenes and Brain Function: Investigation of the Cognitive and Mood Effects of Mentha × Piperita L. Essential Oil with In Vitro Properties Relevant to Central Nervous System Function – PMC (nih.gov)
- Lemon oil vapor causes an anti-stress effect via modulating the 5-HT and DA activities in mice – PubMed (nih.gov)
- Time to wake up: reactive countermeasures to sleep inertia – PMC (nih.gov)
- Associations between light exposure and sleep timing and sleepiness while awake in a sample of UK adults in everyday life | PNAS
- The effects of the preference for music on sleep inertia after a short daytime nap | Sleep and Biological Rhythms (springer.com)
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