As much as I hype up about a good nights sleep, there are days that I will oversleep. If I have to work the next day, I usually stick the schedule to maximize the benefits of sleep. If I am off the next day, Ill always try to cram in an extra hour or two! This got me thinking about how different I feel when I have overslept. I am groggy and generally “slow” compared to a good nights sleep. This got me to google to find out how to feel better after oversleeping. Ready to learn with me?
Get Moving. Exercise is a great way to get your body moving and your blood flowing! Try stretching and other light exercises to help get the body moving. Tea and coffee can have some pleasant effects and help you get moving if you avoid the carbs found in creamers and sugars. Get a dog! Once you get out of bed and get your friend up, your dog will help make sure you don’t go back to sleep on them!
Quick Note: Oversleeping ever now and then is fine and usually does not indicate any underlying issues. CONSTANT oversleeping can be signals that you may be suffering from psychological problems, such as depression, anxiety, etc. You may also have some physical issues like sleep apnea, anemia, thyroid issues, etc. If you constantly suffer from oversleeping, reach our to your family Doctor and let them run some tests. Your health is worth it!
Feeling Better After Oversleeping
If you overslept on purpose, or accidentally, you will experience the same effects. You will feel groggy and slow to getting the day started. Getting back to normal is the priority! Here are my tips on how to feel better after oversleeping.
Light Exercise & Stretching
Light Exercise is one of the best ways to get moving in the morning. If you have to work and you have already overslept, take an extra 5 minutes to do some stretching. Don’t get crazy and start tossing dumbbells around yet, we are just trying to wake up our body so we can get through the morning!
DOWNLOADABLE CHEAT SHEET
If you need some exercise tips, check out this guide from move.va.dov (https://www.move.va.gov/docs/NewHandouts/PhysicalActivity/P33_SampleFlexibilityProgramForBeginners.pdf) that is a great guide for daily stretches you should implement into your morning routine. Oversleeping or not, this is a fantastic resource and should be implemented by everyone for better health!
The recommended set for stretches are below, but you really only need to pick 5 or 6 of the stretches and implement them for about a minute each. This will get the blood flowing and help you wake up.
While that guide is intended for overweight veterans, there is a FANTASTIC amount of value in the guide for stretching! Print off a copy for yourself, its FREE! If you are looking to feel better after oversleeping, this is a fantastic resource.
Drinks to Wake You Up in the Morning
Coffee
This one is obvious, but with a couple caveats. First off, refrain from pouring a cup when you first get out of bed. You want to get some of that stretching in first, then east something before you chug away like an alcoholic college student.
After researching more on coffee in the morning, a study from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20070100/ shows that most coffees can cause your stomach to start productions of stomach acids. These acids are meant to dissolve food, but if there is no food, then it just aggravates your stomach.
I know this isn’t a health blog. Well, sleep health, not a general health. Most people drink coffee in the morning and I believe it is important that we understand what happens to your body. More so since it affects your sleep! The goal is about feeling better after sleeping.
Drinking coffee in the morning without food can cause problems like heartburn, acid re-flux, nausea and even irritable bowel syndrome. While coffee is a great way to stimulate your body and help give it a kick-start, it does have its pitfalls. Just be sure to have it a few minutes after food. You are keeping it low-carbs right?
Tea
Most common tea’s have naturally occurring caffeine that can give you a pretty nice kick in the morning if you aren’t a coffee drinker. In fact, it’s becoming pretty popular in the states!
Tea is a great coffee substitute, with a few caveats like I mentioned earlier.
The caffeine in tea can give you an almost instant feeling of energy and a quick boost to your day when taken properly. If you are drinking tea on an empty stomach, you are doing it wrong!
Drinking tea in the morning on an empty stomach can have some pretty rough side effects. Dizziness, nausea, headaches and unpleasant bathroom breaks.
If you are using creamers or milks in your teas, you may feel bloated along with the dizziness and nausea due to the lactose in the milk and creamers. This could leave you gassy and constipated, so skip the milk and creamers in your morning tea.
Get a Dog
Alright, I will admit something here… I LOVE dogs. I am not sure who is more excited in the morning to see each other, me or my dogs. I’d like to play like I am the big guy here, but everyone has a soft spot for something and mine is here.
When you wake up as a dog owner, your dog is usually really excited to see you are awake and they are ready to give you all kinds of love and affection. In a way, your dog worships you and they are ready to start another day with you their best friend.
Taking your dog for a walk in the morning before you shower can be a great way to wake up and help your buddy get some exercise. It’s a win-win situation!
Doing your morning routine of letting them outside to use the bathroom to filling up the food bowl for them is still a little exercise! Just try to pick up the pace and push yourself on some of these smaller moments. It helps!
Dogs can get into a sleep routine with you and can help you get up if you get stuck oversleeping. Maybe your alarm didn’t go off or you forgot to set it, your dog will probably remind you it is time to get up.
Getting a dog just to stop oversleeping, or feel better from oversleeping, is not the greatest idea. Dogs require as much attention as a child in order to develop and grow properly. Having a dog is just a perk against oversleeping.
You’ve Overslept and You Are Late for Work! What Now?
It has happened to us all at some time. Oversleeping for work is probably the most common issues from hitting the snooze button too many times!
The best way to stop oversleeping is to practice good sleep habits. Here are some great resources to get started that I have already covered before so we don’t get off topic here.
More Blog Posts for Good Sleep Hygiene
Does Tea Keep You Awake? What You Need to Know
The Difference Between Resting and Sleeping
How to Feel Well Rested with Little Sleep
The Best Sleeping Time is from 10pm to 4am
To get a good nights sleep, most people need around 8 hours of good quality sleep. According to the CDC https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html the average adult needs 7 or more hours of sleep.
If you start at 10pm, then somewhere between 4am and 5am should be a sufficient wake up time for adults. Most of us will roll out of bed somewhere closer to 6am and that is fine too.
Most people will not close their eyes at 10pm and magically open them at 4am. People will get the sleep process started around that time. From there, it can take between 60 minutes to 90 minutes to enter REM Sleep, which is deep sleep.
While in a deep sleep your body does lot’s of things and it is theorized that is why we dream during this time. Without REM sleep, your body will not get the full benefits of a solid sleep.Practicing good sleep hygiene will help set your body up for success and help prevent accidental oversleeping.
Too Late, Already Overslept. I Need Excuses!
I got you fam.
It happens. Everyone once and a while, most bosses understand. We are only human after all.
If you need some excuses, try these:
1. The old flat tire routine. This is my favorite excuse and it is totally believable. Next time you get flat tire, take a pic of it. This way, if you are running late, you can text your boss a pic of the tire and say you had to get it patched and youll be right in afterwards!
2. The wife/husband unplugged my charger when she/he was cleaning yesterday. We can blame this on an animal too, but the cleaning bit just feels real. After all, our phones are our alarms too! If they die at night, then, you get some extra shut eye!
3. Extravagant. An excuse so crazy, no one could make that up. You went out to a new restaurant last night and things weren’t “working normal” this morning causing you to run a little late.
These are my favorite 3 excuses. Hope they help!
Happy Sleeping! Well, I Hope You Feel Better After Oversleeping!
ThatSleepGuy.com
CDC – How Much Sleep Do I Need? – Sleep and Sleep Disorders 11–14 hours per 24 hours (including naps) 2. 10–13 hours per 24 hours (including naps) 2. 9–12 hours per 24 hours 2. 8–10 hours per 24 hours 2. 7 or more hours per night 3. #N#65 years and older. Although the amount of sleep you get each day is important, other aspects of your sleep also contribute to your health and well-being. Good … www.cdc.gov
