Do any of you folks ever wake up tired? I go to bed at the same time every night, and whenever I have had a very stressful day, I literally wake up tired the next day. I am currently mid-way through reducing my caffeine intake, and I feel 50% less tired upon waking up. The only thing I can think of is that caffeine raises cortisol levels which in turn increases stress, and gets my stress hormones going full speed. Blood work has turned out OK, so caffeine is the only culprit I can think of. I used to drink one cup of strong coffee in the morning, then about two or three cups of tea in the early afternoon. Anyone felt less tired after giving up caffeine? Thanks for any info. on this subject.
nm misread OP
Have you had a sleep test done? Maybe you have apnea.
Caffeine can take several hours to come out of your system entirely. I try to avoid caffeinated drinks within four hours of going to bed, and I’m best off with more like six to eight hours. Even decaf coffee over a late desert can sometimes keep me restless and not sleeping well.
As for waking up tired, I haven’t noticed any other connection for myself. Drinking coffee in the morning (which I do about three days a week) doesn’t have any effect by the time night rolls around.
When I do wake up tired, it’s often connected with muscle aches or tension, especially in my back. Since stress is also related to my back pain, the two often show up together, but I get the same effect from sore legs or arms after a stress-relieving day working the yard.
(For what it’s worth, my wife reports that caffeine actually makes her sleepy. So everyone’s different.)
I have pretty much given up caffeine in the last couple of years. I used to drink anywhere from 4 to 6 mugs a day of the stuff (only up till mid-afternoon though), and now I will have a mug or two a week. I have not noticed any difference.
Honestly, I’ve been waking up tired my entire life. I can’t think of a single morning where I sprang out of bed as fresh as a daisy. More like “Oh shit. I guess I have to get up now.”