What is Sleep Inertia? It’s the feeling you get when you wake suddenly from REM sleep. It causes disorientation and a shaky feeling that can last up to an hour. If you’re sleep deprived (pretty much everyone!), that feeling can remain for two or more hours. That could describe the daily experience of nearly every adolescent you know. Up at dawn, no time for breakfast, off to school, after school sports, lessons, or a job, eat on the run, home late, stay up late doing homework, get a few hours of sleep, and repeat.
Why is it significant?
There are tasks that an adolescent needs to complete requiring great degrees of alertness and concentration, including, learning, studying, practicing, testing, and driving. The consequences of lack of attention when performing these tasks can range from disappointing to disastrous.
What can you do?
Get some exercise
Whether you have a specific exercise routine or simply take a brisk walk around the house, studies show exercise will temporarily boost alertness.
While it’s true that sugary snacks are delicious, they won’t give your body the sustained energy boost that it requires. Instead you should rely on proteins, such as eggs, to boost brain power.
And of course, the best way to tackle sleep inertia is to prevent it in the first place by getting enough sleep each night. This may best be accomplished by setting both sleep and wake alarms. For example, If you want to get 8 hours of sleep and you get up at 6:00, your sleep alarm should be set for 10:00. Your body is definitely happier with a regular routine.