Getting out of bed is hard at any time of the year, let alone when it’s dark, cold and wet outside. But once you’ve found the strength to throw your covers aside and face reality, this time of year often brings with it another challenge: morning grogginess.

If you’ve found yourself nodding off on the train during your morning commute or necking endless cups of coffee to keep your eyes open pre-11am, you’ll know what we’re talking about. And while we know there are plenty of reasons why so many of us struggle with this kind of sleepiness during the winter months (it’s typically a combination of low vitamin D levels, lingering melatonin caused by the dark mornings and reduced activity levels), that doesn’t make dealing with it any easier.

So what’s the secret to feeling alert when you wake up during winter? We asked experts from across the worlds of wellness, sleep, nutrition and fitness to share their top tips. 

If waking up in the morning feels like an impossible task, your first stop should be increasing your natural light exposure. It’s the best way to deal with the number one disruptor of morning energy levels during the winter months – the darkness.

“Natural light contains a spectrum of wavelengths, including blue light, that play a crucial role in regulating the production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for sleep-wake cycles,” explains Dr Giuseppe Aragona, GP and online medical adviser for Prescription Doctor.

“When you expose yourself to sunlight, particularly in the early morning, it signals to your body that it’s time to wake up and be alert,” he adds. “This exposure helps to suppress the production of the sleep hormone, melatonin.”

As the production of melatonin is suppressed, the production of cortisol – also known as the stress hormone – increases. While high levels of cortisol (like when you’re really stressed out at work) can be damaging, you need some cortisol to wake up and feel alert, and it’s for this reason that morning light exposure can be the perfect antidote to grogginess. 

The only problem? Thanks to the dark mornings and evenings, many of us are arriving at the office before it’s fully light outside, making morning light exposure a challenge. However, there are solutions to this conundrum – the main one being sunrise alarm clocks.

“These replicate the feeling of waking up to natural sunlight in the morning, which positively affects your circadian rhythm,” says Theresa Schnorbach, Emma’s sleep scientist. “The light from the alarm clock prompts your body to slow down melatonin production.” 

We all like to feel warm and cosy in bed, but getting hot under the covers can lead to nighttime sweating and dehydration, which in turn can lead to feelings of grogginess. So if you tend to wake up feeling a little sticky, this might explain why you’re feeling extra sleepy come morning.

To counteract this, consider reaching for water when you get out of bed. “A good cup of coffee can be inviting first thing in the morning to give us that energy kick, but before you reach for your much-loved coffee beans, I suggest gulping down a good amount of water first,” says Hannah Belsham, health and nutrition coach at Innermost. 

The last thing you probably want to do when you’re feeling groggy is get moving, but experts say incorporating even the smallest dose of movement into your morning routine could help you to feel more alert and ready to face the day.

Doing some stretching is a good place to start, says Jaspreet Randhawa from the Whole Body Pharmacist. “It doesn’t need to be coordinated or look good,” she points out. “Intuitively listen to your body and stretch the parts that need stretching, co-ordinating your breathing with each stretch and relieving tension. This takes you out of the sleeping position and gets energy and blood flowing around the body.”

As well as getting you up and moving, stretching can also offer additional benefits including increased mobility and reduced risk of injury, so it’s well worth giving a go.

Alanah Bray, master PT at Fitagain PT Gym and Retreats agrees. “If you watch your dog or cat wake from a slumber they usually take the stance of puppy dog pose, with their front legs out in front, chest to the floor and bottom to the sky, but you can start by hugging the knees into the chest while still in bed and gently rocking,” she says.

“Even this small movement will bring blood to the body and revive the muscles ready for a day of sitting at a desk. Putting together a simple five-minute, all-over body stretching routine will wake your muscles, setting you up for the day.”

Another easy way to keep your cortisol and melatonin levels in check is to have a sleep schedule – and stick to it.

“When you have a regular sleeping pattern your internal clock becomes synchronized with your sleep hours, which makes it easier both to get to sleep and to wake up in the morning,” explains Kora Habinakova, a sleep expert at SleepSeeker.

“Once you have smoothed out your sleep schedule, you should find it easier to get up even on dark and gloomy days.” 

When it’s cold and dark, we tend to crave lots of carbs, sugar and fats. But giving into these cravings at breakfast time could be affecting your energy levels as you go about your day.

“Try to focus on protein,” says Bray. “Getting protein into your system will kick start metabolic activity in your body and help to keep your blood sugar levels low – meaning you remain fuller for longer – which will increase your energy levels. This is compared to a refined carb breakfast, which will send your blood sugars high and then crash faster.”

But what makes a good energy-boosting breakfast? According to Kerry Beeson, a nutritional therapist at Prep Kitchen, it’s all about incorporating a variety of ingredients. 

“If you often feel tired in the morning, incorporating the right foods into your breakfast can help to provide sustained energy and improve alertness,” she explains. “One of my favourite energy-boosting breakfasts is maple pecan porridge with fruit and yoghurt – the oats are complex carbohydrates which stabilise blood sugar and provide a lasting source of energy, while pecans taste delicious and are a good source of protein, healthy fats and fibre.”

She continues: “If you fancy something savoury, then go for some good quality protein such as eggs, tofu or salmon, with spinach, avocado and wholegrain toast.” 

Talking about food, you want to make sure you’re not consuming lots of it too close to bedtime. You might not think what you do before bedtime is going to affect you seven or eight hours later, but it’s effect on sleep quality can affect how you feel the next day.

“Eating earlier in the evenings allows your body more time to digest your dinner,” says SleepSeeker’s Habinakova. “As such, you are less likely to be disrupted during the night, allowing for a longer and better quality sleep which helps you to wake up feeling refreshed.”

Jules Goldberg, sleep expert and founder of sleep apps Sleepwave and SnoreLab, agrees: “Eating a heavy meal within a few hours of bed releases energy during the night when your body doesn’t need it, causing sleep disruption and possibly increased snoring. Have a light evening meal at least three hours before bed to prime yourself for a good rest.” 

If increasing your natural light exposure just isn’t possible, then trying to fit in some early morning exercise could help to increase your cortisol levels in a similar way – as well as offering a range of other benefits.

“Engaging in morning exercise is a highly effective strategy for dispelling morning drowsiness and setting a dynamic tone for the day,” says Prescription Doctor’s Dr Aragona. “Physical activity jumpstarts the body’s metabolic processes, increasing blood flow and oxygen supply to muscles and organs; this surge in circulation boosts overall energy levels and stimulates the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine, which play key roles in wakefulness and mood regulation.”

He continues: “Moreover, morning exercise has been shown to enhance cognitive function, improving focus and mental clarity. As you elevate your heart rate and break a sweat, the endorphins released act as natural stress relievers, combating feelings of lethargy and promoting a positive mindset.”

Sometimes, the feelings of grogginess you experience after waking up are not caused by a lack of energy but by a phenomenon known as sleep inertia – a state of disorientation and drowsiness experienced after waking, usually when someone’s been woken up suddenly. The key to avoiding this feeling is to wake yourself up gently.

One way to do this is by ensuring you wake up at the right time in your sleep cycle. “Sleep cycle disruption is a common cause of drowsiness,” explains Emma’s Schnorbach. “Throughout the night we go through several stages of sleep where brain waves become higher in amplitude and lower in frequency; in the stage of deep sleep, also known as N3, brain waves are extremely slow which makes it very difficult to wake up.

“Waking up during this stage will likely leave you feeling groggy and even mentally impaired for 30-60 minutes as blood is redirected from the brain to the muscles of the body.” 

While you can’t directly control which stage of your sleep cycle you wake up in, there are apps, such as Sleepwave, which can help to stop you being woken up when you’re at the deepest part. “Sleepwave’s free motion-sensing alarm clock senses your body movements from a phone beside your bed and gently sounds at a great moment when you are primed to wake up well,” explains the app’s founder Goldberg.

Using a sunrise alarm clock – or simply opting for a less aggressive alarm tone – can also help. And a recent study suggests that hitting snooze – while not always ideal – could help to reduce sleep inertia if you’re woken up in the middle of a deep slumber.   

We all know the saying, ‘If you can’t beat them, join them’, but in this case it’s more like, ‘If you can’t beat the cold, embrace it’. The idea of jumping into a cold shower when it’s already cold outside might not sound like a good one, but it’s a really great way to jolt your body into action if you’re struggling to shake off last night’s sleep.

“Taking a cold shower in the morning is an invigorating method to shake off morning drowsiness and promote alertness,” explains Prescription Doctor’s Dr Aragona.

“The shock of cold water triggers a physiological response in the body, stimulating the nervous system and increasing blood circulation, as well as constricting blood vessels, leading to a rapid heart rate and improved oxygen intake, which can boost energy. The bracing sensation of a cold shower also serves as a powerful wake-up call for the mind, jolting you into a state of heightened awareness.”

Just make sure you’ve got some warm clothes waiting for you afterwards, or you might find yourself shivering for long after the shower is over. 

Images: Getty