How to Feel More Awake During the Day

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Prioritize Your Sleep

Fuel With Protein

Limit Caffeine and Alcohol

Drink More Water

Find Time for Fun

Manage Negative Emotions

Spend Time Outdoors

Listen to Upbeat Music

Close

It’s normal to have an occasionalsluggishday, but if you’re staggering through life longing for a nap or looking for a bottomless coffee pot, it’s time to evaluate your habits and change those that are making you more tired during the day.

Surprising Causes of Fatigue

Sleep is as important to your health as proper eating and exercise. Don’t push it aside to make room for other activities.

Sleeping too little, or less than seven hours per night, is the most common cause of exhaustion. In addition to leaving you feeling tired, lack of sleep has also been linked to an increased risk for serious accidents as well as the following health issues:

Another often-overlooked energy-zapper is the snooze button. It’s so tempting to grab those extra nine minutes of shut-eye, but it’s not enough time to reach restorative sleep. You’re better off getting up right away when the alarm clock rings.

On the other hand, some studies have shown that routinely sleeping more than nine hours each night is associated with an increased risk for diabetes, headaches, and obesity.

Go for the happy medium; most adults do best on seven to nine hours of sleep per night.

If you have time, scramble eggs for breakfast. If not, spread peanut butter on a piece of whole-wheat toast, enjoy a bowl of yogurt with fruit, or grab a protein-enriched bar or smoothie. Instead of an afternoon candy bar, have apple slices with a small piece of cheese.

Work protein into every meal, and grab snacks that balance carbs with protein. Protein wards off severe fluctuations in blood sugar, leaving you more alert.

Do your best to watch yourcaffeine consumption; the FDA recommends no more than 400 milligrams (about four or five cups of coffee) per day.In addition, since caffeine’s half-life can range from as little as two hours to as long as 12 hours, try to avoid caffeine within six hours of bedtime.

Alcohol can also interfere with good shut-eye, disrupting the duration of your sleep as well as your ability to fall and stay asleep. Researchers found that even consuming alcohol six hours before bedtime can increase wakefulness during the second half of sleep.Drinking too much alcohol can also lead to a hangover, and a rough, sleepy start to your day.

Mindful MomentFeeling sluggish? Take this free3-minute meditation to boost your energy—or choose from ourguided meditation libraryto find another one that will help you feel your best.

Mindful Moment

Feeling sluggish? Take this free3-minute meditation to boost your energy—or choose from ourguided meditation libraryto find another one that will help you feel your best.

I Swapped My Morning Coffee for Ginger Shots—Here’s What It Did for My Energy

It seems counterintuitive, but daily fatigue can be your body’s way of crying out for more activity. Exercise raises your metabolism, stimulates your mood, and helps you sleep better at night.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 150 minutes of exercise every week, which equates to roughly 30 minutes per day, five times a week.

You don’t need to spend hours at the gym, or even do the recommended 30 minutes at one time. Take a brisk 20-minute walk around the block in the morning, and do a quick 10-minute stair workout in the afternoon. A study of sleep-deprived adults found that walking up and down the stairs for 10 minutes increases energy levels more than taking 50 milligrams of caffeine, which is roughly 4 ounces of coffee.

Staying well-hydrated can also help you feel more awake during the day. Dehydration can lead to increased sleepiness, fatigue, and irritability,and many people don’t drink enough water throughout the day.

Try one of these ideas to up your daily water intake:

According to the result of one study, upping your daily water intake can have a positive impact on your energy levels. The results found that for people who regularly didn’t drink enough, boosting water intake led to increased wakefulness and more positive emotions.

Fun and laughter are great energizers, so do your best to shake up your routine and indulge in a favorite activity each day, even if only for a short time. Even something small like trying a new hairstyle or switching your route toworkcan leave you feeling more alert.

A fewfun ideasto add to your day include:

Stress, negativity, and depression are huge energy-suckers. If you are overwhelmed with gloomy thoughts, you might consider talking to a mental health professional to identify the source of your negative emotions and come up with coping strategies.

For everyday stress and blues, consider one of the following.

Why Do I Feel Tired After I Eat?

Another study found that being outside in nature can boost relaxation and help you feel refreshed.

So strive to spend a little time outdoors each day, whether going for a brisk walk around the block or enjoying another outdoor activity. If you want to start spending more time outdoors, try to:

If you struggling to feel awake, playing some of your favorite upbeat songs might give you a little extra boost of alertness. One study found that upbeat music led to faster, more powerful performances among cyclists.

Faster-paced music helps the brain move the body more rapidly.Not only that, but high-energy songs can also help you feel more inspired and motivated and can help combat fatigue.

A Word From Verywell

If it seems there just isn’t enough caffeine in the world to get you through your day, it’s time to set down the coffee cup and start making healthy changes to build up your energy and conquer your busy life.

Feeling tired all the time can also be a sign of a medical or mental health issue, so if your sleepiness becomes excessive and difficult to manage, talk with your healthcare professional to discover what’s causing you to feel tired during the day.

13 Possible Reasons Why You’re Tired All the Time

17 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Sleep deprivation and deficiency.Léger D, Beck F, Richard JB, Sauvet F, Faraut B.The risks of sleeping “too much.” Survey of a national representative sample of 24671 adults (INPES Health Barometer).PLoS One. 2014;9(9):e106950. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0106950Chaput JP.Sleeping hours: What is the ideal number and how does age impact this?Nature and Science of Sleep. 2018;10:421—430. doi:10.2147/NSS.S163071O’Callaghan F, Muurlink O, Reid N.Effects of caffeine on sleep quality and daytime functioning.Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2018;11:263–271. doi:10.2147/RMHP.S156404U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Spilling the beans: How much caffeine is too much?Drake C, Roehrs T, Shambroom J, Roth T.Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed.J Clin Sleep Med. 2013;9(11). doi:10.5664/jcsm.3170Park S-Y, Oh M-K, Lee B-S, et al.The effects of alcohol on quality of sleep.Korean J Fam Med. 2015;36(6):294-299. doi:10.4082/kjfm.2015.36.6.294Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How much physical activity do adults need?Randolph DD, O’Connor PJ.Stair walking is more energizing than low dose caffeine in sleep deprived young women.Physiology & Behavior. 2017;174:128-135. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.03.013Pross N, Demazières A, Girard N, et al.Influence of progressive fluid restriction on mood and physiological markers of dehydration in women.Br J Nutr. 2013;109(2):313-321. doi:10.1017/S0007114512001080Pross N, Demazières A, Girard N, et al.Effects of changes in water intake on mood of high and low drinkers. Chao L, ed.PLoS ONE. 2014;9(4):e94754. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0094754Raposa EB, Laws HB, Ansell EB.Prosocial behavior mitigates the negative effects of stress in everyday life.Clin Psychol Sci. 2016;4(4):691-698. doi:10.1177/2167702615611073Whitehead BR, Bergeman CS.Coping with daily stress: Differential role of spiritual experience on daily positive and negative affect.J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2012;67(4):456-459. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbr136Murray K, Godbole S, Natarajan L, et al.The relations between sleep, time of physical activity, and time outdoors among adult women.PLoS One. 2017;12(9):e0182013. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0182013Ferraro DM, Miller ZD, Ferguson LA, et al.The phantom chorus: birdsong boosts human well-being in protected areas.Proc R Soc B. 2020;287(1941):20201811. doi:10.1098/rspb.2020.1811Karageorghis CI, Priest DL.Music in the exercise domain: a review and synthesis (Part i).International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 2012;5(1):44-66. doi:10.1080/1750984X.2011.631026Thakare AE, Mehrotra R, Singh A.Effect of music tempo on exercise performance and heart rate among young adults.Int J Physiol Pathophysiol Pharmacol. 2017;9(2):35-39.

17 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Sleep deprivation and deficiency.Léger D, Beck F, Richard JB, Sauvet F, Faraut B.The risks of sleeping “too much.” Survey of a national representative sample of 24671 adults (INPES Health Barometer).PLoS One. 2014;9(9):e106950. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0106950Chaput JP.Sleeping hours: What is the ideal number and how does age impact this?Nature and Science of Sleep. 2018;10:421—430. doi:10.2147/NSS.S163071O’Callaghan F, Muurlink O, Reid N.Effects of caffeine on sleep quality and daytime functioning.Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2018;11:263–271. doi:10.2147/RMHP.S156404U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Spilling the beans: How much caffeine is too much?Drake C, Roehrs T, Shambroom J, Roth T.Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed.J Clin Sleep Med. 2013;9(11). doi:10.5664/jcsm.3170Park S-Y, Oh M-K, Lee B-S, et al.The effects of alcohol on quality of sleep.Korean J Fam Med. 2015;36(6):294-299. doi:10.4082/kjfm.2015.36.6.294Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How much physical activity do adults need?Randolph DD, O’Connor PJ.Stair walking is more energizing than low dose caffeine in sleep deprived young women.Physiology & Behavior. 2017;174:128-135. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.03.013Pross N, Demazières A, Girard N, et al.Influence of progressive fluid restriction on mood and physiological markers of dehydration in women.Br J Nutr. 2013;109(2):313-321. doi:10.1017/S0007114512001080Pross N, Demazières A, Girard N, et al.Effects of changes in water intake on mood of high and low drinkers. Chao L, ed.PLoS ONE. 2014;9(4):e94754. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0094754Raposa EB, Laws HB, Ansell EB.Prosocial behavior mitigates the negative effects of stress in everyday life.Clin Psychol Sci. 2016;4(4):691-698. doi:10.1177/2167702615611073Whitehead BR, Bergeman CS.Coping with daily stress: Differential role of spiritual experience on daily positive and negative affect.J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2012;67(4):456-459. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbr136Murray K, Godbole S, Natarajan L, et al.The relations between sleep, time of physical activity, and time outdoors among adult women.PLoS One. 2017;12(9):e0182013. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0182013Ferraro DM, Miller ZD, Ferguson LA, et al.The phantom chorus: birdsong boosts human well-being in protected areas.Proc R Soc B. 2020;287(1941):20201811. doi:10.1098/rspb.2020.1811Karageorghis CI, Priest DL.Music in the exercise domain: a review and synthesis (Part i).International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 2012;5(1):44-66. doi:10.1080/1750984X.2011.631026Thakare AE, Mehrotra R, Singh A.Effect of music tempo on exercise performance and heart rate among young adults.Int J Physiol Pathophysiol Pharmacol. 2017;9(2):35-39.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Sleep deprivation and deficiency.Léger D, Beck F, Richard JB, Sauvet F, Faraut B.The risks of sleeping “too much.” Survey of a national representative sample of 24671 adults (INPES Health Barometer).PLoS One. 2014;9(9):e106950. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0106950Chaput JP.Sleeping hours: What is the ideal number and how does age impact this?Nature and Science of Sleep. 2018;10:421—430. doi:10.2147/NSS.S163071O’Callaghan F, Muurlink O, Reid N.Effects of caffeine on sleep quality and daytime functioning.Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2018;11:263–271. doi:10.2147/RMHP.S156404U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Spilling the beans: How much caffeine is too much?Drake C, Roehrs T, Shambroom J, Roth T.Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed.J Clin Sleep Med. 2013;9(11). doi:10.5664/jcsm.3170Park S-Y, Oh M-K, Lee B-S, et al.The effects of alcohol on quality of sleep.Korean J Fam Med. 2015;36(6):294-299. doi:10.4082/kjfm.2015.36.6.294Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How much physical activity do adults need?Randolph DD, O’Connor PJ.Stair walking is more energizing than low dose caffeine in sleep deprived young women.Physiology & Behavior. 2017;174:128-135. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.03.013Pross N, Demazières A, Girard N, et al.Influence of progressive fluid restriction on mood and physiological markers of dehydration in women.Br J Nutr. 2013;109(2):313-321. doi:10.1017/S0007114512001080Pross N, Demazières A, Girard N, et al.Effects of changes in water intake on mood of high and low drinkers. Chao L, ed.PLoS ONE. 2014;9(4):e94754. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0094754Raposa EB, Laws HB, Ansell EB.Prosocial behavior mitigates the negative effects of stress in everyday life.Clin Psychol Sci. 2016;4(4):691-698. doi:10.1177/2167702615611073Whitehead BR, Bergeman CS.Coping with daily stress: Differential role of spiritual experience on daily positive and negative affect.J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2012;67(4):456-459. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbr136Murray K, Godbole S, Natarajan L, et al.The relations between sleep, time of physical activity, and time outdoors among adult women.PLoS One. 2017;12(9):e0182013. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0182013Ferraro DM, Miller ZD, Ferguson LA, et al.The phantom chorus: birdsong boosts human well-being in protected areas.Proc R Soc B. 2020;287(1941):20201811. doi:10.1098/rspb.2020.1811Karageorghis CI, Priest DL.Music in the exercise domain: a review and synthesis (Part i).International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 2012;5(1):44-66. doi:10.1080/1750984X.2011.631026Thakare AE, Mehrotra R, Singh A.Effect of music tempo on exercise performance and heart rate among young adults.Int J Physiol Pathophysiol Pharmacol. 2017;9(2):35-39.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Sleep deprivation and deficiency.

Léger D, Beck F, Richard JB, Sauvet F, Faraut B.The risks of sleeping “too much.” Survey of a national representative sample of 24671 adults (INPES Health Barometer).PLoS One. 2014;9(9):e106950. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0106950

Chaput JP.Sleeping hours: What is the ideal number and how does age impact this?Nature and Science of Sleep. 2018;10:421—430. doi:10.2147/NSS.S163071

O’Callaghan F, Muurlink O, Reid N.Effects of caffeine on sleep quality and daytime functioning.Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2018;11:263–271. doi:10.2147/RMHP.S156404

U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Spilling the beans: How much caffeine is too much?

Drake C, Roehrs T, Shambroom J, Roth T.Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed.J Clin Sleep Med. 2013;9(11). doi:10.5664/jcsm.3170

Park S-Y, Oh M-K, Lee B-S, et al.The effects of alcohol on quality of sleep.Korean J Fam Med. 2015;36(6):294-299. doi:10.4082/kjfm.2015.36.6.294

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How much physical activity do adults need?

Randolph DD, O’Connor PJ.Stair walking is more energizing than low dose caffeine in sleep deprived young women.Physiology & Behavior. 2017;174:128-135. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.03.013

Pross N, Demazières A, Girard N, et al.Influence of progressive fluid restriction on mood and physiological markers of dehydration in women.Br J Nutr. 2013;109(2):313-321. doi:10.1017/S0007114512001080

Pross N, Demazières A, Girard N, et al.Effects of changes in water intake on mood of high and low drinkers. Chao L, ed.PLoS ONE. 2014;9(4):e94754. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0094754

Raposa EB, Laws HB, Ansell EB.Prosocial behavior mitigates the negative effects of stress in everyday life.Clin Psychol Sci. 2016;4(4):691-698. doi:10.1177/2167702615611073

Whitehead BR, Bergeman CS.Coping with daily stress: Differential role of spiritual experience on daily positive and negative affect.J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2012;67(4):456-459. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbr136

Murray K, Godbole S, Natarajan L, et al.The relations between sleep, time of physical activity, and time outdoors among adult women.PLoS One. 2017;12(9):e0182013. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0182013

Ferraro DM, Miller ZD, Ferguson LA, et al.The phantom chorus: birdsong boosts human well-being in protected areas.Proc R Soc B. 2020;287(1941):20201811. doi:10.1098/rspb.2020.1811

Karageorghis CI, Priest DL.Music in the exercise domain: a review and synthesis (Part i).International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 2012;5(1):44-66. doi:10.1080/1750984X.2011.631026

Thakare AE, Mehrotra R, Singh A.Effect of music tempo on exercise performance and heart rate among young adults.Int J Physiol Pathophysiol Pharmacol. 2017;9(2):35-39.

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