Sleep: why you might still feel exhausted after eight hours and one simple fix

A sleep specialist told a journalist that morning grogginess can come from being woken during deep sleep (sleep inertia) and from low morning daylight keeping melatonin active; the article reports that brief morning natural light or a gradual sunrise-style alarm helped the author feel more alert.

Many people report feeling unusually tired in the morning despite getting eight hours of sleep. The article follows a journalist who discussed persistent morning exhaustion with Dr. Lindsay Browning, founder of the Trouble Sleeping clinic. Dr. Browning describes sleep inertia, which can occur when an alarm interrupts a deep stage of sleep and leaves a person feeling very groggy. She also points to reduced exposure to morning daylight as a factor that can let melatonin linger and prolong sleepiness. What the doctor noted: - Sleep inertia arises when someone is awakened from deep sleep and typically eases within about 15–20 minutes, but can feel more severe when combined with other factors. - Morning natural light helps suppress melatonin, so low daylight exposure after waking can prolong grogginess. - Loud snoring can be a sign of sleep apnea, which fragments sleep, and persistent daytime fatigue can sometimes relate to medical issues such as iron deficiency or thyroid problems. Summary: The article reports that the author’s prolonged tiredness likely reflected a mix of sleep inertia and insufficient morning light rather than a single cause. The author plans to try increased morning outdoor light and a sunrise-style alarm as reported steps; broader follow-up or population-level effects are undetermined at this time.