When it comes to sleep, I’ve tried everything under the sun to get more Zzzs and feel less cranky in the morning. But even if I get eight hours of sleep, I still wake up feeling groggy and exhausted more often than I wake up feeling refreshed. In fact, I hit snooze so many times that it feels impossible to actually make it out of bed some days.
To remedy the situation, I spoke to two sleep experts — Erin Marra, MD, the medical director at Intrivo, and Chester Wu, MD, a physician double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine. Here’s what they have to say about how much sleep you need and how to wake up easier in the mornings.
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
Although eight hours of sleep is typically accepted as the universal norm, each person’s sleep needs are different, explains Dr. Wu. “Sleep need is unique [genetically determined] and lives on a spectrum. When we looked at sleep-need data recently from 1.95 million RISE app users ages 24 and up, we found it ranged from five hours to 11 hours [and] 30 minutes. A full 48% of users need eight hours or more sleep a night.”
But the number of hours of sleep you get is not the only factor to consider. The quality of your sleep is also important. In fact, Dr. Marra says even if you are getting eight hours of sleep, it’s important that all eight hours are made up of quality sleep. If they are not, you could find that you wake up groggy and cranky.
“You may not feel rested despite getting seven plus hours of sleep if the quality of your sleep is poor,” she says. “Sleep quality can be affected by alcohol, certain drugs, sleep apnea, stress, and poor sleep hygiene.”
How to Wake Yourself Up In 3 Simple Steps
If, like me, you are struggling to wake up in the morning or if you still feel tired when the alarm goes off, it is important to remedy that situation. Here are three steps you can take to make sure you are waking up refreshed and ready for the day.
Step 1: Establish a Sleep Routine and Stick to It
Getting your circadian rhythm right is the most important thing you can do for your sleep quality. Plus, it will help you wake up easier over time.
To start, make sure you have a set bedtime routine, where you go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, suggests Dr. Marra. “Do something relaxing before bed such as reading a book or meditating, keep the lights low at night, and avoid blue lights from computer screens, televisions, and cell phones before bedtime. All of these tips will help your body keep its natural circadian rhythm.”
Creating a sleep routine can also include adjusting things in your space that will help you rest better throughout the night. For example, be mindful of the temperature of the room you’re sleeping in.
Experts say your bedroom should be set to 60 to 68 degrees for the best quality sleep since your body temperature naturally rises as you doze off. Stirring in the middle of the night because you get too hot can disrupt the quality of your sleep, even if you don’t remember waking up.
Step 2: Let the Light In
Wake up, turn on the Lana Del Rey song, and “let the light in,” literally. One way to accomplish that is to sleep with your shades up so the sun will be the first thing that alerts you that it’s time to wake up in the morning and not your alarm clock.
“Natural light triggers your brain into recognizing that it is daytime,” says Dr. Marra.
If you don’t have adequate windows or lighting in your bedroom, get outside as soon as you wake up for a quick walk or to grab a morning coffee, and it will have the same effect. This triggers your circadian rhythm to recognize that it’s time to start your day and will have an impact later when you’re trying to fall asleep.
Step 3: Wake Up Gradually
According to Dr. Wu, the ideal alarm doesn’t jolt you out of sleep abruptly. Rather, it wakes you up gently and gradually and mimics the natural light that your brain and body need to start the day.
If you prefer to stick with a traditional clock or phone alarm, consider putting these out of reach, away from the bed, suggests Dr. Marra. “As soon as you have to start moving your body to do something, you will naturally start waking up,” she says.
If you feel totally lost on how to improve your sleep-wake cycle, try experimenting with how many hours you sleep to get a feel for what your body needs. You may find that your body requires less than eight hours. In fact, some people find that they have an easier time waking up if they set their alarm an hour earlier than they normally do.
Bottom Line
As with anything in your life, nailing down a sleep routine is all about trial and error. Try out different things when it comes to establishing a nighttime routine, experiment with the amount of sleep you get, and use different tactics for waking up. If you follow these three steps, you’ll be off to a great start of waking up easier and easier over time.
