Science may have the answer for why dragging yourself out of your bed in the morning is such a ball-ache.
Christopher Winter M.D, sleep advisor for Men’s Health, has said that if you get up at the same time every day, your brain will begin to get used to a specific schedule.
He claims that your body will begin to be encouraged by your brain to get up at this time by releasing hormones and increasing your body temperature, which will make you feel sprightlier and more energised when the dreaded time to get up comes around.
But, if you go back to sleep, your brain gets confused and doesn’t know what time it should tell your body to wake up, meaning your body doesn’t get the usual hormone boost and consequently you feel like shit.
Dr. Winter said:
It becomes kind of like jet lag… You wake up feeling kind of groggy, like you have a dull headache, maybe a bit of nausea, and lethargy—you just don’t feel like doing anything.
Fortunately, there is a small compromise you can make. Dr. Winter says that you can have an extra 20 minutes in bed at max, because if you do nod off again you’ll be unlikely to enter a deep sleep, which means you should still get a hormone boost.
The good doctor also recommends turning the lights on and opening the curtains immediately after you rise, as bright lights tend to promote wakefulness and stop you drifting back off to the Land of Nod.
So, as painful as it is, the best way to get a good start to your day is to avoid hitting that snooze button and jump out of bed instead. You’ll feel better for it, as much as you may hate it!
More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.
He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.