Still not energetic after sleeping for 8 hours? These six factors need to be found out

Even though I have slept for 8 hours, I still feel groggy after waking up; I can’t get up on the weekends and always want to make up for the missed sleep. Scientific research has confirmed that long-term poor sleep quality is not good for health and may lead to emotional out-of-control, hormone imbalance, forgetfulness, heart discomfort and other problems.

1. Incorrect sleeping posture

If you wake up with back pain, it could be caused by sleeping on your side throughout the night. Sleeping on your side for a long time can cause significant distortion in the hip joint, leading to back and leg pain. To avoid back pain, you can place a pillow between your legs to keep your hips aligned.

Benjamin Dumm, founder of the American Hip Disease Research Institute, believes that hip injuries are the most common but also the most difficult sleep injuries because the pain caused by this injury can manifest in different parts of the body, such as the waist.

2. The pillow is not suitable

Big, fluffy pillows may look luxurious and comfortable, but they can cause spinal discomfort. When sleeping, if a soft pillow cannot support the head, the cervical vertebrae and spine will not be able to maintain a natural curvature, causing cervical muscle stiffness and soreness.

Sean Stevenson, founder of the American Institute of Integrative Medicine, recommends using a pillow that is firm enough.

3. Grinding teeth while sleeping

Cathy Gruver, a massage therapist in Santa Monica, California, found that if you always wake up with a headache, it may be because you have been grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw all night.

This symptom can be relieved by massaging your face, such as gently massaging your jaw area before going to bed and after waking up. You can also see a dentist and wear a mouth guard to correct the position of your teeth and prevent bruxism.

4. Drinking before bed

Dr. Aaron Clark, a family medicine physician at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, believes alcohol can disrupt normal sleep cycles.

Australian researchers found in 2015 that people who mixed orange juice with vodka before bed had stronger alpha brain wave activity during sleep, suggesting they were not entering a deep, restorative sleep.

Women are more likely to have their sleep disrupted by drinking because they metabolize alcohol faster and wake up earlier.

5. You have undiagnosed sleep apnea

According to a 2012 survey conducted by the World Health Organization, about one-third of people worldwide suffer from sleep disorders, and in my country, the number of people with various types of sleep disorders is as high as 38.2%, and sleep apnea is one of them.

These people will stop breathing briefly many times during the night, resulting in poor sleep quality. If you have shallow sleep, loud snoring, daytime fatigue and lack of energy, and decreased concentration for a long time, you should be alert.

Treatment measures: This group of people should lose weight and exercise more. If the airway obstruction is caused by loose pharyngeal tissue, hypertrophy of the uvula and tonsils, surgery can be considered. Central type patients should actively seek medical advice and medication. In severe cases with respiratory failure, artificial mechanical ventilation can be used for a short period of time.

6. Watching electronic products before going to bed

Harvard University researchers found that people who read on tablets or other electronic devices before bed have a harder time waking up refreshed.

Robert Rosenberg, a sleep medicine expert in Arizona, USA, analyzed that this is because the blue light emitted from electronic products will inhibit the secretion of melatonin, which promotes sleep and controls the sleep and wake cycles. Therefore, when melatonin secretion is disordered, sleep quality will decrease.

It is recommended that people turn off all electronic devices, including computers, mobile phones, tablets and e-readers, one and a half hours before going to bed, and move mobile phones out of the dormitory.