Did you sleep well last night?

When you woke up this morning, you may have immediately assessed the previous night’s sleep–  especially if you had some trouble getting to sleep or woke up during the night.  Humans often have some variability in their sleep quality and quantity for no obvious reason.  And, despite logging a sufficient number of sleep hours, many people routinely feel groggy when they wake up–and head straight for the coffee pot for some go-go juice.  

Before you down a cup of coffee or draw a conclusion about how your sleep might affect the rest of your day, consider waiting an hour and THEN see how you feel.  For those who have fairly regular sleep schedules, your internal wakefulness system (the circadian rhythm) isn’t fully activated when you first wake up.  Which may lead you to overestimate how sleepy you are.  You may need 30-60 minutes to transition into being awake, and your expectations that you should spring out of bed are a bit unfair.  Your thoughts about this may color the rest of your day since your brain will be looking for evidence to support your conclusion that you slept badly.  

Staying open minded in the first hour after awakening can get you more in-tune with your body.  You can accentuate your wakefulness by moving:  stretching, a fast-paced walk, or even doing a few squats or toes raises wakes up your muscles and your breathing.  And light exposure is powerful.  In the summer, getting outside first thing in the morning is usually enjoyable and allows you to take in natural sunlight.  For dark mornings, you may buy a light box to get light exposure that will give your brain a boost.