Why do you wake up more tired than when you went to bed?

Sleep doesn't always mean rest. Many people wake up feeling exhausted, drained of energy, as if the night had been worthless. This can be due to poor sleep quality, nighttime interruptions, or even bad bedtime habits. In this article, we explore the reasons and solutions to wake up truly refreshed.

The main reasons why you wake up tired

1. Your sleep is light and you don't reach the deep phases

Sleep has several stages, and restful sleep only occurs when we reach deep sleep. If you wake up constantly or fail to reach this stage, your body doesn't recover properly. This often happens when there are frequent interruptions, whether due to noise, light, stress, or bad habits.

Deep sleep is essential because it's when the body regenerates tissues, consolidates memory, and releases key hormones for recovery. Without these phases, your rest is incomplete, which explains why you may feel exhausted despite having "enough" sleep.

2. Noise and light interrupt your rest

The brain continues to process sounds and light while we sleep. If there's ambient noise or light coming in, even if you don't fully wake up, your sleep becomes fragmented and loses quality.

Even background noise, such as traffic or someone else's snoring, can affect your sleep depth without you even noticing. Exposure to artificial light before bedtime also inhibits the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle.

3. Bad habits before sleeping

Using screens, eating dinner late, or going to bed with your mind active prevents your brain from relaxing, delaying deep sleep. Blue light from electronic devices disrupts melatonin production and keeps your brain alert.

Plus, if you have an irregular nighttime routine or go to bed worried, you could be training your brain to stay active instead of winding down before bed.

Solutions to wake up with energy

• Avoid screens before bed and opt for relaxing activities like reading or meditating.

• Control noise and light with tools like Nocturna, which blocks distractions and improves sleep quality.

• Make sure you have a consistent routine to train your body to sleep better.

• Try relaxing sounds like brown noise or binaural beats, which help induce deep sleep.