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Always Groggy In The Morning? How To Design Your Bedroom For More Energy

Author:

Emma Loewe

August 04, 2024

By Emma Loewe

mbg Contributor

Emma Loewe is the former Sustainability and Health Director at mindbodygreen. She is the author of "Return to Nature: The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us" and the co-author of "The Spirit Almanac: A Modern Guide To Ancient Self Care." Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,500 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes.

Image by Irena Ifremova / Stocksy

August 04, 2024

Some people live for the early morning light; others prefer to stay under the shadow of their covers. If you’re a night owl, chances are that you consistently fall into the latter camp.

Research shows that night owls experience more mornings with sleep inertia 1 (a fancy way of describing morning grogginess) than early birds, and while the feeling does pass eventually, it can last up to 30-60 minutes.

It’s safe to say that nobody wants to spend the first hour of their day feeling groggy, moody, and cognitively dazed. Thankfully, your bedroom design can go a long way in boosting your energy as soon as (and potentially even before) you open your eyes. These five research-backed tips prove it:

Invest in smart blinds (and set them to open before you wake up).

Light is an essential cue for our sleep-wake clock 2 (otherwise known as a zeitgeber), and exposure to daylight can help improve alertness and cognitive performance even after mild sleep deprivation.

Research suggests that looking at bright light upon waking can reduce sleep inertia—but there’s more to it. Getting light exposure during the final stages of sleep, before you wake up, has been shown to reduce morning sleepiness too. (Yes, light can impact your circadian rhythm even when your eyelids are closed!)

For this reason, people who lean more “night owl” might benefit from investing in smart blinds they can program to open automatically. Play around with letting the light in at different times in the morning to see which schedule helps you wake up the most energized.

Play music over a speaker or digital alarm clock.

Music can immediately shift our mood, and research shows it can help lift the dark cloud of morning grogginess. One study out of Japan found that participants who listened to music for 20 minutes after waking up from a nap 3 reported feeling less sleepy and scored better on a reaction time task than those who didn’t. Participants didn’t even need to like the music to benefit from it (though playing songs they enjoyed seemed to help even more).

Put this finding to the test in your bedroom by curating a playlist of 3-4 songs to listen to in the first 20 minutes of your morning. Play them over a speaker or smart alarm clock to start the day on the right note.

Image by Michela Ravasio / Stocksy

Set up an energizing vision board or gallery wall.

Ready for a neurologist-approved tip for boosting morning energy? Tara Swart, M.D., Ph.D. recommends creating an “Action Board” in your bedroom that reminds you of your goals and desires. She always ends her day by looking at her board and feeling as if everything on it has already come true. This taps into the psychological phenomenon of the “Tetris effect,” which suggests that the last thing you look at before sleep can impact your subconscious and dream state.

The same logic rings true for the morning hours: Being reminded of your goals first thing in the morning can encourage you to get a head start on the day. Think about the area of your bedroom you tend to look at right when you wake up and decorate it with photos, mantras, or trinkets that speak to what you hope to accomplish once you get out of bed.

Curate an aromatherapy corner.

We’ve covered a few activating sights and sounds—now it’s time to get the sense of smell involved. Certain scents are thought to have energizing and mentally clarifying properties. Consider lemon 4, which has been shown to each stress and improve focus in rodent studies, and peppermint 5, which may combat mental fatigue. Of course, your sense of smell is highly personal, so if these don’t appeal to you, light a candle or fill a diffuser with aromas that do.

Lay out a yoga mat the night before.

While high-intensity exercise may feel out of the question in the morning, research shows that yoga can also have an invigorating effect 6, reducing physical and mental fatigue. Plus, starting your morning with a quick flow can help you approach the rest of the day with more mindfulness.

Night owls can use their evening energy to set up their yoga area and outfit before going to bed, so all that’s left to do in the morning is make their way to the mat.

The takeaway

Using smart blinds, playing around with music and scent, and displaying motivational imagery are just a few ways night owls can set up their homes for vibrant energy. Play around with them until you find a bedroom design that best supports the morning life you personally want to live. And remember: strong mornings start with strong sleep, so be sure to give some consideration to your bedtime routine too.