Waking up in the morning is something that many people struggle with.
You might find yourself in a groggy haze when your alarm goes off, grumpy and unmotivated, with no interest in getting up yet.
Maybe you find yourself hitting the snooze button repeatedly or turning off the alarm altogether.
These feelings can persist for an hour or more, slowing your morning routine and possibly leading you to skip important activities or make unhealthy choices.
This might leave you feeling stressed, rushed, and disorganized.
What if you could plant seeds for a better day by starting your first few moments of wakefulness with some enjoyable music?
Waking Up From Sleep Inertia
When you wake up in the morning, your body is caught in a state of sleep inertia.
This means that you’re partially awake but still somewhat sleepy, groggy, and disoriented. You might have trouble thinking clearly, focusing on tasks, remembering things, paying attention, or moving quickly.
Sometimes it is critically important to get up and alert in a hurry to engage with responsibilities, process complex and crucial information, or deal with urgent safety situations.
Caffeine is a common and effective stimulant to boost performance and alertness, but it might take too long to kick in if immediate performance is needed.
Bright lights can help resolve sleep inertia.
Putting your hands in cold or iced water or splashing it on your face appears to be another effective way of getting your blood flowing and accelerating the process of waking up.
Using Music To Wake Up
Another interesting option for counteracting sleep inertia is to listen to your favorite music.
Instead of annoying buzzers and beepers, try setting your alarm sound too enjoyable songs.
Melodic alarm tones appear to enhance vigilance and improve immediate cognitive performance.
Using music to wake yourself up might give you the powerful combination of cognitive and physical stimulation you need to get yourself ready for the day.
It might also uplift your mood and provide an upbeat emotional soundscape to start your day.
Other Tips For Awakening
If you are having trouble with morning drowsiness, here are a few tips to help you get better quality sleep and wake up more easily:
- Stick to a consistent schedule. Going to bed and rising at the exact times each day helps train your body to be ready for wakefulness when it’s time.
- Avoid drinking alcohol or stimulants like caffeine close to bedtime.
- Remove distractions like electronics from your bedroom and make sure it’s dark enough so that you can sleep well.
- Get more exercise. Stretching and exercising can boost your energy and help you get more rejuvenating rest.
- Drink a glass of water immediately after waking.
- Get checked for sleep apnea or other sleep disorders that might be making it harder for you to get into a deep sleep.
See what happens when you kickstart your morning with some great music. Jump into your day with high spirits, get up and dance, and welcome the sunrise with a smile.
