Why you shouldn't evaluate sleep based on how you feel first thing in the morning or mid-afternoon
If you have chronic insomnia you might spend a lot of time thinking about sleep and monitoring for the effects of poor sleep. For example, if you feel lousy when you get out of bed in the morning, you might blame a bad night of sleep. If you feel really sleepy halfway through the day, you might attribute this sleepiness to poor sleep quality.
It can be so easy to blame every negative thing that happens on your insomnia, and this can lead to more sleep-related worry, which — in turn — makes sleep more difficult.
Related videos:
If insomnia doesn’t cause any health problems why do you feel aches and pains after a bad night? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucWebU7ukkI
A positive attitude can change the way you think about insomnia and improve your sleep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOmQJwmbFVA
Daytime fatigue is caused by more than just a bad night of sleep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAecAVm3a-o
The good news is that morning grogginess and lunchtime fatigue is actually quite normal. A lot of people take time to “get going” in the morning. It’s quite normal to experience fatigue and mild confusion for up to half an hour after waking (sometimes longer) as the body transitions from sleep to full wakefulness.
It’s also quite normal to experience heightened levels of fatigue and even sleepiness in the mid-afternoon since (although we don’t fully understand why) the body clock’s alerting signals temporarily lose strength around this time and this temporarily strengthens sleep drive.
So, if you are judging your sleep based solely on how you feel shortly after getting out of bed in the morning or on how you feel in the mid-afternoon, this might be a mistake — because these are the times when few people feel at their best.
▶ Subscribe to the Insomnia Coach channel (and be sure to click the notification bell afterward so you don’t miss any videos): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL5LsLUeVA2j_Vsl5625shQ?sub_confirmation=1
My name is Martin Reed and I am the founder of Insomnia Coach®. I offer sleep coaching services that give people with insomnia all the skills and support they need to enjoy better sleep for the rest of their lives. I also offer a free two-week sleep training course for people with insomnia at https://insomniacoach.com/sleep-training/?ref=youtube062419
You can also find me here:
Website: https://insomniacoach.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/insomniacoach
Facebook: https://facebook.com/insomniacoach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myinsomniacoach/
All content found on the Insomnia Coach YouTube channel is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice or medical treatment and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or other licensed healthcare provider. All content is provided as is, and without warranties.
#insomnia
#sleep
