Struggling to rise and shine in the morning is a common plight, particularly through the bleak winter months. The grogginess that lingers can often feel like an unwelcome companion as we start our day.

However, Dr Deborah Lee, a sleep expert from Doctor Fox, in collaboration with Bed Factory Direct, assured that there were strategies to combat this sluggishness and wake up feeling more invigorated.

How to feel less tired in the mornings

Dr Lee offered advice on how to kickstart your mornings: “It might be easy to just grab a breakfast bar or put some bread in the toaster, but a breakfast that is rich in both carbohydrates and protein should make you feel more alert quickly. Eggs are a great source of protein, so if you have the time to whip up an omelette full of your favourite meats and cheeses, that should do the trick. By eating something too sugary first thing in the morning, like some cereals, can often spike your blood sugar that could make you feel more groggy in the mornings.”

She also highlighted the benefits of morning exercise: “There aren’t many people that wake up in the morning and get excited by the thought of morning exercise. However, research has shown that doing a 30-minute workout with a medium effort will help you wake up a lot quicker than if you weren’t to reduce sleepiness. It doesn’t have to be a major HIIT workout, but even just a speed-walk around the block should help those tired eyes.”

Lastly, Dr Lee emphasised the importance of safeguarding your circadian rhythm to ensure a less tiresome start to the day.

Dr Lee shared some invaluable insights on how to master your body’s circadian rhythm, the natural cycle that signals when it’s time to sleep and wake up. Emphasising the importance of a consistent routine, Dr Lee advised: “Your circadian rhythm is the pattern your body follows to know when it’s time to sleep and time to wake up. A huge factor in this is routine, and ensuring you’re going to sleep at the same time each night, and waking up at the same time each morning.”

The expert also highlighted the significance of regularity beyond sleep: “It isn’t just your sleeping pattern that needs to be kept into routine, but your daily meals, your shower and bath routine and your technology ‘switch off’ time. It may be a little harder on a weekend – but if you push through then it will make your Monday wake up a lot easier.”

To combat the confusion caused by blackout curtains, Dr Lee suggested an illuminating solution: “When your eyes see light in the morning, it gives signals to your brain that it’s time to wake up. If you have blackout curtains, then this can be really confusing for the mind. Invest in a night lamp so that you can put it on first thing in the morning. Or, a Happy Lamp, which around 1,300 people are searching for on Google each month, showing the increase in its popularity.”

She continued to explain the benefits of these lamps: “These lamps will wake up with you, so it won’t be such a shock to the eyes when there’s a big bright light next to you. However, if you can utilise natural light by opening the curtains and getting outside as soon as possible then that’s a better option.”

Lastly, Dr Lee touched on the morning coffee ritual many swear by: “Naturally when we wake up, the first thing we want to do is grab a coffee to actually wake up properly. However, you shouldn’t be reaching for the caffeine until at least 45 minutes after you wake up as this is when the caffeine will give you the biggest fix.”