7 tips to reduce Sleep Inertia symptoms
Feeling enough sleep but still waking up in a less conscious state? You may experience sleep inertia. This is how to reduce symptoms.
Kring! The Alarm sounds, you wake up shocked. Instead of waking up in a fresh state of shape, you feel giddy, limbed, tired, giddy because you feel just asleep. This condition is known as sleep inertia or wakes up in shock or suddenly. Is there a way to reduce its symptoms?
Sleep inertia is a condition when you suddenly awaken from the sleep phase of the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) — a deeper sleep phase when one dream and body improve.
In that phase, the body is experiencing elevated levels of melatonin, namely the sleep hormone. By waking up in a body condition that is currently producing many sleep hormones, you will experience the disorientation and shakiness of motor-sensory performance (e.g. easy loss of balance and unable to grip something steadily), which can Lasts 2 hours or more.
Sleep inertia can also occur when you nap for too long, which is more than 20 minutes. The effect of sleep inertia can disrupt activity. For example spilling coffee, stumbling, there is even a case of a terrible like plane accident.
How to reduce the effect of sleep inertia
To prevent these things, especially those that can be life-threatening, some things can be done to reduce the symptoms of sleep inertia, namely:
1. Drink cold water
Washing the face with cold water proved to have a refreshing effect after waking up. If it is still not fully aware after descending from the mattress, bathing with cold water can "awaken" your consciousness.
2. Consume caffeine with caution
With caffeine intake, the nerve will transmit faster signals to the organs in need. Also, caffeine can trigger the release of adrenaline, because the heart will pump blood faster.
Two cups of coffee are enough in a once-time drink. More than that can actually have a bad impact on the mental and make the drinkers anxious.
3. Get Sunlight
There is a study indicating bring participants who are exposed to bright lights after waking up have higher cortisol levels in the blood.
Other studies find that participants who are exposed to bright white light during waking up have a drastic increase in alertness.
4. Make a quick walk
After waking up, you can get a quick walk around the house, better yet if done in the sun. Studies show that activity in the morning, in this case, is with exercise, can increase alertness for some time. This is due to an increase in body temperature and blood flow to the brain.
5. Combine everything
After waking up in a short sleep, you can have a bright light, and then flush your face with cold water to increase alertness.
6. Switch to protein
Sugar is not a solution for breakfast or snacks during a short waking sleep. Although you will feel refreshed, the effect is only temporary. Eat proteins like eggs to improve brain work.
7. Prevent the problem
The right solution is to overcome sleep inertia by preventing it from the beginning. One way is to get up at the same time, based on the number of sleep cycles you want.
Most people need 5 sleep cycles with each duration for 90 minutes, roughly with a total of 7.5 hours per night. To estimate when to start sleeping, the countdown from the time you should wake up.
For example, you need to wake up at 6.30 am, sleep at least 11 pm. Do these cycles consistently at least during the week for you to get used to. If you wake up before the alarm sounds, it means your sleep is good. If not, speed back your time starting to sleep until you can wake up yourself before the alarm screams.
Adequate rest, both in quantity and quality, are key to reducing symptoms of sleep inertia. Try to awaken with the sunlight cast to lower levels of melatonin and keep you awake in a fresh state. Avoid consumption of caffeine and alcohol at night, and create a supportive bedroom atmosphere. If sleep inertia is still a frequent occurrence or sleeps disturbance, please do not hesitate to consult a doctor.