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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Remy Greasley

Sleep expert explains why you might be tired every morning

Waking up and getting straight out of bed is never easy, particularly as the weather gets colder and the nights get longer.

But on some mornings it seems so much harder than others. Some days, despite us getting our proper eight hours sleep, the morning grogginess hits us harder and it can feel impossible to get out of the comfort of our duvets.

A sleep expert has explained why this might be the case. Experts at the sleep disorders and research center at Henry Ford Health said there are a number of reasons why - some mornings, or all mornings - you might still be tired throughout the earlier hours even when you've had the sleep.

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Firstly, your morning tiredness could be due to environmental factors which can affect the way our body works. When we wake up and it is still dark, or it's raining, the lack of sun means our bodies will produce less serotonin, a hormone which can give us energy and plays a key function in mood, sleep and many other bodily processes.

It could also be caused by hormonal flux, particularly for those going through menstrual cycles. Sana Zuberi, primary care physician at the centre, said during the second half of a menstrual cycle, when oestrogen levels peak then drop, you are more likely to feel groggy and tired.

She said this would more likely be the case if the individual had an iron deficiency that was paired with the loss of blood during the cycle. This can lead to more fatigue once awakening.

A caffeine addiction or dependency can also be the cause of why you're more tired in the morning. Caffeine represses our adenosine receptors, therefore stimulating us and making us feel more awake as we are drinking coffee, though, once the coffee cup is put down, we're more likely to get more tired, the more caffeine we have consumed - meaning that the "threshold" of caffeine that must be reached for us to then feel more awake becomes more distant.

Not eating a proper breakfast was also touted as a possible reason. The experts said failing to choose a "wise" breakfast (perhaps choosing a YumYum over porridge) will deprive our body of essential nutrients it needs to get going, and said sugary foods early in the morning can also lead to a crash before the clock hits Noon.

The final reason given is that you're experiencing what's called "sleep inertia." Sleep inertia is a natural period of time after waking up when our bodies take some time to "feel like a functioning person."

Sleep inertia is common, and can occur for 15 minutes to an hour after waking up. However, the Sleep Foundation suggests that if sleep inertia lasts longer than an hour, and is proving problematic, than it may be wise to seek a doctor's consultation.

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