Constant tiredness in winter: According to sleep researchers, these 3 simple tricks will help you get out of bed in the morning

Constant tiredness in winter: According to sleep researchers, if you can’t get out of bed in winter despite the time change, you should follow these three tips

It’s the time change, and whoosh does getting up feel so much easier? It would be nice. Unfortunately, ironically, it’s actually the case that an extra hour really messes up our sleep rhythm – and we’re even worse off getting out of bed than before.

These 3 tricks will help you get out of bed easily, even in winter

Nevertheless, you don’t have to give in to constant tiredness in the winter without a fight. Fiona Barwick, head of the Sleep & Circadian Health Program at Stanford University, gives three valuable tips that can help everyone be responsive again before 8 a.m.

1. “Expose yourself to light as soon as you wake up.”

“Your body releases melatonin—a hormone that promotes sleep—when it’s dark outside, and suppresses it when it’s light.” That’s why you feel sleepy before bed and are alert (at least at some point) in the morning. “As the nights get longer and the days get shorter in the fall and winter, there is less sunlight, so the body produces more melatonin, which can make you feel tired and lethargic in the morning,” explains Dr. Barwick.

“The best thing you can do to counteract this effect is to stand in front of the light as soon as you open your eyes.” “Without light, it takes longer for melatonin to break down, and this prolongs sleep inertia – the Time of tiredness and low energy after waking up,” recommends the sleep researcher. 10 to 15 minutes were enough for this. If you can’t even reach the curtains to let the light in, you can use a daylight alarm clock, for example.

2. “Stick to a consistent wake-up time and resist the urge to hit the snooze button.”

Yes, no one likes to hear that, but our beloved “snooz” taste is a real enemy in the fight against constant fatigue. “When you use this tempting feature, you are telling your body that there is still time to sleep, which can cause melatonin levels in your body to rise further and trap you in a groggy state,” says Dr. Barwick. “It may feel good to sleep for a few more minutes, but it won’t give you quality rest,” she explains.

You should also avoid varying your sleeping and waking rhythms too often. This means that if you like to stay in bed for half an hour longer on home office days, you may not be doing yourself any favors. “When you wake up at different times every day, your body thinks you’re jetlagged (which, as you probably know if you’ve traveled in a different time zone, is horrible). “Waking up at the same time every day stabilizes your circadian rhythm, which makes you feel less groggy and makes getting up less tired,” says Dr. Barwick.

3. “Move your body, even minimally.”

“Physical activity increases levels of cortisol, the so-called stress hormone, which makes you feel awake more quickly,” says Dr. Barwick. Additionally, it increases the core temperature, which increases energy levels, she adds. That doesn’t mean you have to pack a whole yoga session into your morning, it can also be light stretching exercises while you’re in bed, says Barwick. “For example, pull your feet toward your chest or stretch your arms in the air.” “Rotate your back or pull your shoulders back,” suggests Dr. Barwick before.

This article was created with text passages and expert quotes from our “Self” colleagues from the USA.