Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsIs It NormalWhy Do I Never Wake Up Feeling Rested?SymptomsWhy It HappensWhy Am I Groggy After a Nap?How to Get Rid of ItDoes drinking coffee help with sleep inertia?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Is It Normal
Why Do I Never Wake Up Feeling Rested?
Symptoms
Why It Happens
Why Am I Groggy After a Nap?
How to Get Rid of It
Does drinking coffee help with sleep inertia?
Close
All of us have had times where we wake up feelinggroggy, out of it, and a bit slow on the uptake. For many of us, this is a daily occurrence. This is known as sleep inertia, which is defined as a temporary period after waking up fromsleepwhere you feel disoriented, moody, and experience slower reaction times and mild memory lapses.
For most people, sleep inertia passes quickly and is more of a nuisance than anything else. But it can be more serious for others, especially people who are sleep deprived, do shift work, or who experience sleep disorders.Here, we’ll look at what causes sleep inertia, its symptoms, and how to treat it.
How to Feel More Awake During the Day
Is It Normal to Have Sleep Inertia?
It’s extremely common to experience sleep inertia. Although some people wake up bright and refreshed in the morning, almost all of us have had times where we wake up feelingsluggishand a bit confused. For many of us, this feeling happens most mornings, even if it passes within a short time frame.
According toSleep Medicine Review, sleep inertia is common in the general population. It’s most common among adolescents, with 42% of them experiencing it. In general, it becomes less frequent the older a person gets, and seems to strike men and women at equal rates.
How Long Does Sleep Inertia Last?
Most people find that sleep inertia is a fairly short-lived experience. The CDC reports that it lasts an average of 30 minutes in most cases. But it’s not uncommon for it to last up to an hour. In more extreme cases, sleep inertia may last as long as two hours. Longer periods of sleep inertia usually correspond with someone being sleep deprived.
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Why Do I Never Wake Up Feeling Rested?It’s common for people to wake up feeling groggy sometimes, though this usually passes in 30 minutes or so.If this is a constant occurrence for you, consider making getting enough sleep a priority, as sleep deprivation is a frequent cause of sleeping unrested upon waking. If you need further assistance, connect with a healthcare provider or mental health professional for support.
It’s common for people to wake up feeling groggy sometimes, though this usually passes in 30 minutes or so.If this is a constant occurrence for you, consider making getting enough sleep a priority, as sleep deprivation is a frequent cause of sleeping unrested upon waking. If you need further assistance, connect with a healthcare provider or mental health professional for support.
Symptoms of Sleep Inertia
Everyone experiences sleep inertia a little differently and with varying intensity, but the main characteristic of sleep inertia is feeling slow, groggy, and disoriented.
Other symptoms may include:
For most of us, these symptoms simply mean that we are less functional first thing in the morning. But for people who need to wake up and do high-stakes type of work—such as operating heavy machinery, military or police work, or working in healthcare—experiencing intense sleep inertia can increase the chances ofaccidentsand can be hazardous.
What Is Shift Work Sleep Disorder?
Why Does Sleep Inertia Happen?
At this point, experts aren’t sure what causes sleep inertia. But it’s considered a relatively normal aspect of sleep, and is thought to be part of the transitionary period between sleep and waking. Sleep inertia seems to be most pronounced after your biological sleep period—i.e., after your nighttime sleep.
Although it’s normal to experience sleep inertia, it exists on a spectrum, where it becomes more pronounced in certain circumstances and among certain individuals. As such, there are some risk factors that affect the intensity and duration of sleep inertia. For example:
Why Am I Groggy After a Nap?Many people experience worse sleep inertia when they are woken from a deep sleep. This is also likely why some people are more prone to sleep inertia while napping, particularly if they have taken a longer nap later. Reducing your nap duration to 30 minutes can help reduce the likelihood that you will go into a deep sleep and have trouble feeling alert after your nap.
Many people experience worse sleep inertia when they are woken from a deep sleep. This is also likely why some people are more prone to sleep inertia while napping, particularly if they have taken a longer nap later. Reducing your nap duration to 30 minutes can help reduce the likelihood that you will go into a deep sleep and have trouble feeling alert after your nap.
What Is Severe Sleep Inertia?
For most people, sleep inertia is primarily an inconvenience and discomfort. It’s common for sleep inertia to get worse when you are sleep deprived or when your sleep schedule is irregular. But for some people, sleep inertia is debilitating. If you are experiencing severe sleep inertia, it’s possible that you are actually experiencing a sleep disorder.
Besides intense sleep inertia, other symptom of hypersomnolence disorder include:
To be diagnosed with hypersomnolence disorder, you need to experience these symptoms at least three days a week for at least three months. Please connect with a sleep specialist if you have any signs of hypersomnolence disorder or if your sleep inertia is severe and making it difficult to function.
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How Do I Get Rid of Sleep Inertia?
If your sleep inertia is mild, and seems to go away within 30-60 minutes, there is nothing you need to change. You are normal, and you are far from alone. But if your sleep inertia feels especially challenging, there are some things you can try to lessen it or make it go away.
First, you can tackle some of the potential causes of more pronounced sleep inertia:
In addition to addressing the root cause of your sleep inertia, there are a couple of lifestyle changes to consider that may help reduce your sleep inertia symptoms or severity. Here are some options:
Does drinking coffee help with sleep inertia?If you tend to feel especially groggy when taking a nap, you might consider trying a “coffee nap,” which is when you consume caffeine before your nap starts, so that the caffeine is in your system when you wake up. It takes caffeine 30 minutes to take full effect, so if you take a nap of about that length, the caffeine will be working when you wake up, and you may have fewer sleep inertia symptoms.
If you tend to feel especially groggy when taking a nap, you might consider trying a “coffee nap,” which is when you consume caffeine before your nap starts, so that the caffeine is in your system when you wake up. It takes caffeine 30 minutes to take full effect, so if you take a nap of about that length, the caffeine will be working when you wake up, and you may have fewer sleep inertia symptoms.
‘I Want to Sleep But My Body Won’t Let Me’: Why Does This Happen?
5 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 Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).NIOSH Training for Nurses on Shift Work and Long Work Hours.Trotti LM.Waking up is the hardest thing I do all day: Sleep inertia and sleep drunkenness. Sleep Medicine Review. 2017;35:76-84. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2016.08.005Hilditch CJ, McHill AW.Sleep inertia: current insights. Nature and Science of Sleep. 2019;11:155-165. doi:10.2147/NSS.S188911American Psychiatric Association.What are Sleep Disorders?Hilditch CJ, Dorrian J, Banks S.Time to wake up: reactive countermeasures to sleep inertia. Industrial Health. 2016;54(6):528-541. doi:10.2486/indhealth.2015-0236
5 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 Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).NIOSH Training for Nurses on Shift Work and Long Work Hours.Trotti LM.Waking up is the hardest thing I do all day: Sleep inertia and sleep drunkenness. Sleep Medicine Review. 2017;35:76-84. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2016.08.005Hilditch CJ, McHill AW.Sleep inertia: current insights. Nature and Science of Sleep. 2019;11:155-165. doi:10.2147/NSS.S188911American Psychiatric Association.What are Sleep Disorders?Hilditch CJ, Dorrian J, Banks S.Time to wake up: reactive countermeasures to sleep inertia. Industrial Health. 2016;54(6):528-541. doi:10.2486/indhealth.2015-0236
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 Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).NIOSH Training for Nurses on Shift Work and Long Work Hours.Trotti LM.Waking up is the hardest thing I do all day: Sleep inertia and sleep drunkenness. Sleep Medicine Review. 2017;35:76-84. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2016.08.005Hilditch CJ, McHill AW.Sleep inertia: current insights. Nature and Science of Sleep. 2019;11:155-165. doi:10.2147/NSS.S188911American Psychiatric Association.What are Sleep Disorders?Hilditch CJ, Dorrian J, Banks S.Time to wake up: reactive countermeasures to sleep inertia. Industrial Health. 2016;54(6):528-541. doi:10.2486/indhealth.2015-0236
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).NIOSH Training for Nurses on Shift Work and Long Work Hours.
Trotti LM.Waking up is the hardest thing I do all day: Sleep inertia and sleep drunkenness. Sleep Medicine Review. 2017;35:76-84. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2016.08.005
Hilditch CJ, McHill AW.Sleep inertia: current insights. Nature and Science of Sleep. 2019;11:155-165. doi:10.2147/NSS.S188911
American Psychiatric Association.What are Sleep Disorders?
Hilditch CJ, Dorrian J, Banks S.Time to wake up: reactive countermeasures to sleep inertia. Industrial Health. 2016;54(6):528-541. doi:10.2486/indhealth.2015-0236
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