Why do you sometimes wake up so tired? If you don't feel fully awake for the first 15 to 30 minutes after waking, you're not alone. There is even a name for this phenomenon…
The state you sometimes find yourself in just after waking up is called sleep inertia , or sleep inertia. You are awake, but certain parts of your brain are actually still in sleep mode. That can sometimes be useful, for example if you wake up in the middle of the night; sleep inertia then helps you to fall asleep quickly.
Read also: "Why do we stretch when we wake up?"
In the morning, sleep inertia is a lot less useful. How do you get rid of it? The best way to not feel so groggy in the morning is unfortunately feasible for few people:don't set an alarm. The chance that your alarm clock will wake you in the ideal sleep stage is small. And if you are awakened from your deep sleep, you are more likely to experience sleep inertia. It also helps to go to bed on time and get enough hours of sleep.
If you are sleep deprived, sleep inertia can last longer than the usual fifteen to thirty minutes, sometimes even hours or all day.
