Are the dark winter mornings making it harder for you to get out of bed? This could explain why.
If you found it hard to pull yourself out of bed this morning, you’re definitely not alone.
The darkest day of the year may be behind us, but there’s still plenty of gloomy mornings to contend with until the bright and breezy days of spring arrive.
Add to that the fact that the weather is freezing right now, and the idea of giving up the cosiness of your bed can make the prospect of venturing into the darkness and starting the day even more unappealing – especially when you’re left feeling groggy and unmotivated for the next couple of hours.
But what is it about the darker mornings that make it so hard to wake up and get going?
According to doctor and wellness expert Dr Susan Lovelle, the answer lies in the relationship between our hormones and the conditions under which they’re produced.
“The reason we sleep – or don’t – has a great deal to do with the connection between two competing hormones, cortisol and melatonin,” Dr Lovelle explains.
“Many of us are familiar with the stress-related hormone, cortisol, and how it keeps us awake and alert during the day. Melatonin, secreted by the pineal gland in the brain, calms our brain and allows us to fall and stay asleep.”
She continues: “The issue is that melatonin is primarily released when it’s dark, while cortisol thrives on noise and light. That’s why we feel sleepier when it’s dark outside.”
In this way, when we wake up and it’s still dark outside, our bodies are still producing melatonin, which is why we continue to feel sleepy and groggy once our eyes are open. It’s for this reason why getting outside during sunrise is so good for you – the bright, natural light triggers the release of cortisol, which helps you to feel more alert and dampens any feelings of grogginess.
Of course, getting outside at sunrise isn’t always possible – especially if you’ve got to be at work before it grows light, for example. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to reduce the amount of sleepiness you feel.
“To combat morning sleepiness, think reversing the hormonal balance: turn on lights, get up and move and take a cool shower,” Dr Lovelle suggests, adding that these activities won’t completely get rid of your sleepiness if you haven’t had enough sleep in the first place (to remedy this, you’ll just need to get more sleep). “These are activities that will stimulate cortisol and will shake off the cobwebs of sleep.”
So, there you have it. While grogginess is kind of part and parcel of waking up when it’s dark outside, there are things you can do to ease this feeling – or at least shake it off once you’ve managed to drag yourself out of bed.
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