Help me want to get up in the AM
August 31, 2009 5:00 PM   Subscribe

How can I get back the energy and enthusiasm I once had in the morning?

I am usually a "morning person"- excited to get up and get a start on everything I wanted to do or even on not doing much at all. For the last 2 weeks, I have had to drag myself out of bed only after I spent up to an hour trying to justify leaving the bed at all.

I haven't had any change in my diet or amount (or timing) of exercise. I go to sleep at roughly the same time every night and have no problems falling asleep. Nothing significant has changed in my life or relationships to trigger this. I had depression but that hasn't been an issue in 3+ years and this doesn't feel the way that "I don't want to get out of bed" did.

You're not my doctor or my therapist; I just want to be alright with rolling out of bed when the alarm goes off. How can I get out of this slump?
posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (16 answers total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
Off the top of my head... allergies? Seasonal allergies make me particularly fatigued, especially in the morning and at night. Do you also have a slight stuffed up or runny nose?

You can try Claritin over-the-counter to see if it helps.
posted by muddgirl at 5:02 PM on August 31, 2009


It's entirely possible that you're fighting something off. Allergies, as muddgirl mentions, could be a good bet, but it could also be a low-level (at the moment) cold or flu that's flying under your conscious radar.

Personally, I'd give it another couple of weeks, then maybe see a doctor if it's not better? If your routine, diet, and emotional state really haven't changed, it may be a health/illness issue.
posted by Brak at 5:34 PM on August 31, 2009


I should add that, in case it is an illness/infection you're fighting off, I'd recommend maintaining a good diet and sleep schedule for the time being. In my experience with this sort of thing, putting myself out on a more precarious health limb (an alcohol binge, an all-nighter project, etc.) has been enough to put me over the edge into full-blown colds.
posted by Brak at 5:37 PM on August 31, 2009 [1 favorite]


Allergies, or maybe change of season? If you are in the north-east US, we've had a kinda weak summer, we just finished up the one week of nice weather, and it just got chilly again. The weather here has me bummed a bit. Are you sure you are sleeping ok? Maybe you have a bit of muscle cramping as you sleep and you just aren't sleeping as deeply as normal.
posted by kellyblah at 5:48 PM on August 31, 2009


I can't cite, but it is my understanding from recent studies that if you want to re-set your biological clock, you should wake up at the desired hour and eat.

Maybe set your alarm for super early and eat breakfast right away?

YMMV.
posted by jbenben at 5:51 PM on August 31, 2009


Are you pregnant?
posted by mollymayhem at 6:17 PM on August 31, 2009


I came in here to say pregnancy or allergies, but others beat me to it.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 6:36 PM on August 31, 2009


What's going on at work at the moment? Don't downplay intensity at work (not necessarily stress, per se) playing a role here.
posted by smoke at 7:26 PM on August 31, 2009


I just want to be alright with rolling out of bed when the alarm goes off. How can I get out of this slump?

Plan something super exciting for tomorrow morning - meeting a friend for breakfast, playing hooky and going to the beach, etc. Or buy yourself some fancy coffee and and set your machine to have a fresh pot when you alarm goes off. Or indulge in some turkish towels so you can't wait to jump in the shower. Anything that makes you WANT to get out of bed!
posted by kidsleepy at 7:51 PM on August 31, 2009


I find I get an extra bit of zip in my morning if I wake up an hour earlier. Might be worth a try.
posted by rhizome at 7:54 PM on August 31, 2009


Depending on your rising time-is it still dark now when you get up? I've noticed it's a bit harder to rise and shine as the days get shorter and I am getting up while it's still dark.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 8:03 PM on August 31, 2009


My body goes a bit wonky when seasons change to autumn and spring, largely due to allergies. It affects my blood pressure, skin sensitivities, appetite, breathing, and general energy level. It also started just about a week ago for me this go-'round. You might want to see your doctor, but allergies or a cold are probably the most likely culprits.
posted by notashroom at 8:17 PM on August 31, 2009


I'd check on the weather. I get totally wiped and demotivated when the weather turns from sun to grey and stays grey for weeks on end. You could try and get more natural sunlight directly on your extremities. If that is not feasible, you could try vitamin D supplementation. Your doctor can check your vitamin D levels and prescribe mega-doses to bring up your levels if need be.
posted by crazycanuck at 9:10 PM on August 31, 2009


Maybe you're bored. I'm serious. Sometimes we slip into phases where we forget to seek out things to get excited about, and we don't even notice it. Maybe for whatever reason, you need more stimulus than you did previously.

Can you add something to your morning routine, or an activity that might excite you once you wake up and remember it?

I go through phases myself. Sometimes the cure is as simple as buying a new brand of coffee, others times it requires a big project or hobby that I must tear myself away from at night, only to get excited about it in the morning, after my brain boots up.
posted by iamkimiam at 12:53 AM on September 1, 2009


I'd like to suggest that you might be able to get out of the slump simply by getting out of bed as fast as you can. My personal experience is that spending an hour laying around in bed makes me feel *worse* than when I get up right away.

I've been working on getting up immediately when the alarm goes off because historically I've wasted my precious early morning free time lying in bed awake, daydreaming. Here's what I am doing (and it's working):
1. Eliminating drinking during the evening
2. Getting to sleep at a reasonable time.
3. As I lay in bed getting ready to drift off, I concentrate on my desire to jump up and out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off. I visualize it over and over.
4. Alarm goes off, and I'm on my feet as fast as I can be.

You may not be like me, but I've found that if I concentrate on something right before I fall asleep ("I've got to remember to bring extra socks tomorrow") then that'll be the first thing in my brain when I gain consciousness the next morning.

NB - You may need to be careful; I find myself on my feet long, long before my balance and wakefulness is anywhere near safe levels for walking. Have a nice trip, see you next fall.

And having fresh coffee automagically brewed and ready when I wake up is very, very important too.
posted by TheManChild2000 at 12:23 PM on September 1, 2009


You might want to consider buying a coffee maker with a timer/alarm. I own the one I just linked to, and it really helps me get up in the morning because I have something to look forward to - a piping hot cup of coffee, just waiting to be poured.
posted by 2oh1 at 1:18 PM on September 1, 2009


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