It can be frustrating to feel like you’re doing everything right when it comes to sleep, only for your energy to wane from the moment you open your eyes. There are many reasons why you might be feeling exhausted and plenty of ways you can wake up on the right side of the bed and increase your energy levels.
How much sleep should you get a night?
According to Dr Preeya Alexander, GP and family health expert known as The Wholesome Doctor, there isn’t a ‘one-size-fits-all’ formula when it comes to sleep.
“We’re all different,” Preeya says. “I know I need around eight hours’ sleep to feel refreshed. My husband only needs six or seven-hours’ sleep and he’s ready to go. You tend to know your sleep sweet spot. For most adults, it’s around seven to nine hours a night.”
Deciding whether to go back to sleep when you wake up tired depends on the time of day, your sleep schedule, how much sleep you've already had and your plans. If it's close to your usual wake-up time, going back to sleep might disrupt your schedule, but if it's much earlier, you might benefit from more rest.
How much REM sleep do I need?
REM sleep is when we dream. During this stage of sleep, your eyes move rapidly, and your brain is almost as active as when you’re awake. It's important for emotional regulation, memory consolidation and learning. The amount of REM sleep you need can be different depending on your age and personal needs. Here’s a rough guideline but always consult your doctor for personalised advice:
Age Group | Total Sleep Needed | REM Sleep Needed (%) | REM Sleep Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
Babies (0-1 yrs) | 12-16 hours | 50% | 6-8 hours |
Toddlers (1-2 yrs) | 11-14 hours | 25-30% | 2.75-4.2 hours |
Preschoolers (3-5 yrs) | 10-13 hours | 20-25% | 2-3.25 hours |
Children (6-13 yrs) | 9-11 hours | 20-25% | 1.8-2.75 hours |
Teenagers (14-17 yrs) | 8-10 hours | 20-25% | 1.5-2.5 hours |
Adults (18-64 yrs) | 7-9 hours | 20-25% | 1.5-2.25 hours |
Seniors (65+ yrs) | 7-8 hours | 15-20% | 1.0-1.6 hours |
Young children need a lot of REM sleep to help their brain grow. Newborn babies spend half their time asleep dreaming. This decreases as they get older and need less sleep each day.
Teenagers need plenty of REM sleep to help them learn, think and deal with emotions. Even as adults, REM sleep is still important for our emotional health and memory.
How much ‘deep sleep’ do I need?
Deep sleep, or slow-wave sleep, is the most restorative phase of sleep. It plays a critical role in physical recovery, tissue repair and the release of growth hormones. As the night goes on, we tend to spend more time in REM sleep and less time in deep sleep.
Adolescents need lots of deep sleep to support their growth and development. Some studies show teens who get adequate deep sleep tend to perform better in school and find it easier to regulate their behaviour.
Like REM sleep, the amount of deep sleep we need decreases throughout our life and we tend to spend more time in the 'light sleep' stage of the sleep cycle. However it’s important we still get enough sleep to prevent the increased risk of serious health problems. Creating a good sleep environment is important for seniors, but good sleep habits can help people of all ages sleep better.
Why do I wake up tired?
“There are many things that can impact your ability to wake up feeling refreshed and full of energy. In most cases, however, it’s lifestyle factors that are responsible for fatigue such as poor sleep quality, not enough sleep in general, or poorly managed stress,” says Preeya. “If you’re getting enough sleep, then you should ideally wake feeling refreshed.”
If you’ve been following a bedtime routine but still wake up tired, even though you’re getting enough sleep, there might be a few health reasons, such as:
Hormones
A hormonal imbalance can impact your energy levels. For example, too much cortisol, the stress hormone, can zap you of energy and disrupt sleep. Hormonal changes can affect your energy too, such as during menopause.
Sleep apnoea
This is a condition where the throat gets blocked, either partially or fully, while you’re asleep. The loss of oxygen will wake you briefly, often without you even realising it. In severe cases, it can interrupt sleep hundreds of times a night, leaving you exhausted.
Mental health
Conditions such as anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder can lead to excessive tiredness. Talk to your healthcare professional if you’re worried about your mental health affecting your sleep.
“Many people don’t realise mood disorders can impact how you wake,” she says. “If you’re suffering from depression or anxiety, you may not wake feeling refreshed, despite having enough sleep.”
Thyroid issues
Poor thyroid function can interfere with your sleep. Hypothyroidism can make you feel tired more easily, even if you’re getting enough sleep.
Nutrient deficiencies
A lack of certain nutrients such as iron, vitamin B12 and vitamin D, can leave you feeling fatigued.
Medications
Certain medications, including antidepressants, stimulants, corticosteroids, decongestants and medications for hypertension and asthma can disrupt sleep patterns.
Is alcohol making you tired?
It’s tempting to rely on a tipple or two to help you unwind in the evening. But despite how it may make you feel in the short term, alcohol can steal your chance of a good night’s sleep.
“Drinking alcohol regularly can negatively impact sleep quality and how you wake in the morning,” explains Preeya.
Research shows alcohol can disrupt your circadian cycle, block restorative REM sleep, aggravate breathing problems like snoring, and even induce sleep apnoea. Plus, alcohol’s diuretic effect might cause extra bathroom breaks during the night.
How to wake up feeling refreshed
If you wake up feeling groggy, you might need to check your overall health and habits to find a solution. Having a regular routine is important for getting a good night’s sleep. “I ask my patients to prepare the brain for sleep with a regular ritual.”
Preeya suggests:
1. No screens an hour before bed
“This includes phones, so no Instagram scrolling, sorry!” she says. The blue light from screens blocks the production of melatonin, the hormone essential for sleep.
Related: Can blue light damage your eyes?
2. Reduce caffeine and alcohol
Skipping your afternoon coffee, particularly eight hours before bed, is likely to improve your sleep, as is cutting down, or out, the amount of alcohol you drink at night.
3. Get active
Aim for regular physical activity, ideally 30 minutes most days and in sunlight. “This helps circadian rhythms that regulate sleep,” she says.
4. Regularity matters
Sticking to a regular sleep routine, with consistent bedtimes and wake-up times, is key to keeping your body's internal clock in check to ensure a good night's sleep. It's all about fostering better sleep quality and overall sleep hygiene.
5. Embrace the morning light
Being exposed to morning sunlight has been found to boost your alertness for the day ahead. Spending time outdoors and soaking in natural light can lower melatonin levels, keeping you alert and your body's internal clock ticking smoothly.
If you’ve been following these habits and are still feeling tired, it’s a good idea to talk to a health professional for personalised advice.
Dr Preeya Alexander is a Melbourne-based GP who is passionate about educating Australians with evidence-based health information. For more tips and tricks to improve the quality (and quantity) of your sleep, check out our dedicated sleep page on The Check Up.
nib foundation partner, the Black Dog Institute, offers a free, evidence-based smartphone app called Sleep Ninja®, which has been shown to be effective in helping young people with sleep problems. Based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), Sleep Ninja teaches strategies across six ‘training sessions’ to develop healthy sleep habits and improve sleep quality.
Please note: The tips throughout this article serve as broad information and should not replace any advice you have been given by your medical practitioner.
