Can somebody please tell me the secret for waking up feeling refreshed and full of energy?

[cherryandalmondtart]

Instead of groggy, tired and feeling as if I need another 8 hours sleep?

My normal routine is into bed around 10.30, fall asleep around 11 to 11.30, wake up 6.15ish, stay in bed sort of dozing until I finally manage to drag myself out at around 7.30. So i get around 7 hours unbroken sleep but it never feels like enough.

Should I try and get more sleep ie go to bed earlier (would be very hard to do in pracise). I don't understand how DH goes to bed later than me but always gets up earlier and jumps out of bed wide awake?

I think I may be a bit depressed, could that be why I feel like I always need more sleep? I have a lie in on a saturday whilst DH gets up with the DC's, and last saturday I didn't get ip til 11am!

Maybe your sleep isn't as unbroken as you think. I can sympathise, as I'm a light sleeper, and DH is restless, so often disturbs my sleep. I think i can count on one hand the number of times I've woken up feeling refreshed in the last 10 years, so i sympathise.

Other causes: anaemia? Diet? Low mood? Not looking forward to what the day holds?

I'd agree with the idea that your sleep might not be as good quality as it could be. Can be a result of anxiety disturbing your sleep or you could find it's environmental.... room too warm, too noisy, too light, husband moving around in his sleep, uncomfortable bed etc.

I find outdoor physical exercise is a good way to enjoy a more deep, refreshing sleep. If you can get a brisk 1 hour walk in between supper and bedtime you won't take anything like an hour to get off to sleep afterwards

Also, when you wake at 6.15... maybe get straight out of bed. Dozing the way you describe can be counterproductive and leave you feeling more knackered than if you just jump into the day, swig down some coffee and go for it.

Finally... chronic fatigue can be symptomatic of various medical conditions. If you carry on feeling lethargic it could be time to see your doctor for a physical check-up

No children or husband in the house?

agree with cantsupinate.

Hi, thanks for the quick replies. It is definately possible my sleep is not as unbroken as I think, but last night I am sure I didn't wake up and yet still woke up feeling groggy and drowsy and exhausted. Once I'm actually up and had a shower/breakfast I feel fine and don't really feel lethargic during the day...well, a litle bit maybe, especially around 3/4pm.

Re falling asleep an hour after getting into bed, that's because I listen to the radio! I put it on timer and I usually always fall asleep as soon as it switches itself off, so I'm not lying there tying to sleep for an hour, sorry should've made that clear.

huckabees, I think everything you wrote here applies "anaemia? Diet? Low mood? Not looking forward to what the day holds?" I think I could be anaemic. I don't always eat a good diet, but it's not terrible either. I do have low mood/depression for reasons too long to go into here and I don't look forward to what the day holds and I think that is it, that is the main reason for not wanting to get up in the morning. I find my days boring, dull, repetitive, unstimulating, lonely. But don't really know how to change them. I'm a full time SAHM, but did not choose this, I would have been much happier had I been able to go back to work after DC's but for a variety of complex reasons I was unable to and here I am, 8 years later, at home and so bored that it is making me depressed.

Gosh, sorry that was a bit of a rant which I didn't know was going to come out!

Yes, exercise would definately help, I need to sort something out and start doing some. I have started walking more, instead of driving, but like you said chil, i need to do more vigorous exercise and for longer. Will definately try and do what you have suggested. Thank you.

If you're at home, bored, but there are limitations meaning you can't get a job perhaps you could find something else worthwhile to do with your day? It could be something voluntary like offering to listen to children read at your local primary school. You might find there's something happening in the daytime in your local community... a book club at the library, maybe.

A poor diet is a real contributor to low moods. You might want to read this link to an article entitled a Depression Relief Diet Not suggesting that food choices can cure clinical depression, of course, but that they can influence our sense of wellbeing.

Are you drinkning alcohol? That can seriously disrupt restful sleep.

It's the dozing/lie-ins I reckon

Get straight up and drink some water and get a refreshing shower, should start you off a bit better

I was just about to post a thread about ho I am feeling and then this came up at the top of active convos [spooky].

I await with interest..

chil, yes I could do some voluntary work, but DS is only at nursery part time and there's really not enough time to do much in between drop off/pick ups and also doing the school run which is in a different direction. It will be more of a possibility once DS is full time from January.

I don't drink alcohol so that is not a factor.

I know the advice about getting up at 6.15 is good in theory. But I am bored enough during the day as it is, if I got up at 6.15, my day would be even longer, so I am not overly keen on that idea! I think I need to make my day worth getting up for. And that is the hard part as that would mean finding myself a good job. But I am not at all optimistic about my chances of finding a job after 8 years out of the workforce and in the current dreadful economic climate that is only going to get worse before it gets better.

Sorry, I am full of doom and gloom aren't I?

I think you have put your finger on it tart when you say that you don't want to get up earlier as your day is "boring enough as it is". You won't be full of energy if you have nothing to be energetic for.

What has energised you in the past? Daft question I know but worth thinking about.

Hi domestic, thanks for responding. In the past, (pre-DC's) I was able to get up early on a sunday morning, go to the gym, play a couple of hours of tennis afterwards and also play tennis a couple of evenings after work. I worked (didn't especially love my job but it was ok and left me with plenty of time for my social life, and sports etc), had lots of friends and a great social life, did loads of exercise and was happy and healthy.

After DC's I have had major health issues, severe PND, had to give up work due to ill health, lost contact with loads of friends, hardly any social life, no sports.....no wonder I'm depressed.

It just feels like I have a mountain to climb; finding a satisfying job, sorting out childcare should I find and get a job, make new friends as opposed to mere aquaintances (have plenty of those), start exercising (find it boring going to the gym alone, I used to always go with a friend who now lives miles away).

I wonder if, pre-kids you were quite competitive, an over-achiever?

You know, rather than thinking about what you can't do, 'mountains to climb' and sorting everything out from friends to exercise to a satifying job in one massive hit, why not take life as it is at the moment... part-time nursery, school runs and all... and work to improve it just a litle bit within the parameters you've got? Much less daunting to start small.

If there's a one hour child-free space in your day, for example, you could try to fill it with some kind of activity you enjoy - could be anything from getting the nails done to going for a jog to reading a chapter of a novel you always meant to read. Could be fun to plan out your 'golden hour' each day and regain a sense of purpose.

Could it be that you just don't like mornings?
I wake up refreshed about twice a year and will bound down stairs and bug everyone because they have their own routine in the morning which doesn't include me.
However for the rest of the year I am rubbish. I hardly ever make it to work before 10.00am but I am quite happy working late at night.

My perfect day would be wake up at 8.30am get up after my coffee in bed at 9.30am Mooch around for a bit and then get going. Finish work at about 11.00pm and then relax for a couple of hours before bed.
Unfortunatly Life is not like that!!

hi, sorry I disappeared yesterday, school run, teatime etc took over.

chil thanks for your suggestion, but I wasn't at all competitive pre-DC's, for me the sport/tennis etc was more a social thing, I wasn't bothered at all whether I won or lost. I like your suggestion of doing something nice for me in my childfree time. Will make a list and pick something for me every day.

upahill I don't like mornings, but I used to, which is what I can't get my head round. I was always an early to bed early to rise person. I now seem to have become an early to bed and unable to rise girl and I just don't know why. I can't stay up late and yet i can't get up in the mornings either.

I used to sleep like a log - only having a poor nights sleep once or twice a year - all that changed when I got Chronic fatigue followed by depression and anxiety in my mid twenties and my whole life changed. I really suffered with the sleep and terrible fatigue now much better but still struggle (80%).

I have terrible days when I have to drag myself out of bed, feel exhausted and sleepy also nausea.

I know exactly what you mean. Some days I feel good others rough - completed exhausted, tired, aching legs and miserable.

I wake up quite negative due to this so it takes me a few hours to come around.

May be worth making note how long you've felt like this. My personality sounds a bit like yours too.

Hope you feel better soon x

lots of ideas here

I think you have to change your lifestyle a lot to get good sleep eg stop alcohol, stop caffeine after lunchtime, get regular outdoor exercise etc and most people aren't prepared to adopt these habits tbh!!!

when you find the answer please tell me as i am a 20 year insomniac

eat less wheat (and food in general) ensure you are completely hydrated, at least 2litres every day, cut out coffee/tea (especially in the morning) and exercise/get fresh air daily.

Works for me

Make juicing part of your daily diet! It really does help energy although initially may make you more tired while detoxing ....