Introduction
Nothing you did wrong. You slept 8 hours after going to bed at 10 o’clock. You did not stay awake all night. Your alarm goes off but you still feel sleepy.
At some point, you might have asked yourself: “Why am I still tired?” despite having enough sleep.
It turns out that sleeping time is only one side of the coin. Many people care about how much sleep they get but do not think about another equally important thing—the quality of sleep. It was proven that good sleep requires completion of several sleep cycles during the night, including deep sleep and REM sleep.
In this article, you will learn:
- How sleep cycles influence your alertness
- Five possible reasons why you still feel sleepy even after 8 hours of sleep
- A gap in the diet that might influence the quality of your sleep
- How sleep supplements could help you relax
- Habits to wake up more refreshed
Stages of Sleep: Why 8 Hours of Sleep Isn’t Enough for Everyone
Sleep is not one state. The body goes through different states during the process of sleeping.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a full sleep cycle lasts about 80–100 minutes and repeats 4–6 times per night. (https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep/stages-of-sleep)
Stage 1: NREM Sleep (Light Sleep)
This is the transition state between wakefulness and sleep. This stage is short and easy to awaken.
Stage 2: Light Sleep
Heart rate decreases, body temperature lowers, and the body prepares for deeper sleep.
Stage 3: Deep Sleep (Slow-Wave Sleep)
It is the deepest sleep. Here takes place tissue growth, immunity support, and physical recovery. It is hard to wake up a person at this stage of sleep.
Stage 4: REM Sleep
This is the rapid eye movement sleep and helps to process memories, learn things, and regulate emotions. Disruption in REM sleep results in mental exhaustion.
5 Causes Why You Are Still Exhausted After 8 Hours of Sleep
1. You Are Not Getting Enough Deep Sleep
Despite sleeping for 8 hours, interruptions can affect the amount of deep sleep which is critical for the restoration of your body.
2. You Might Have an Undiagnosed Sleep Disorder
Sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and snoring are just a few conditions that might keep waking you up without you being aware of it.
3. Your Stress Is Affecting Your Sleep Quality
Constant stress raises your brain activity during the night-time making it difficult to fall asleep and stay in the deep sleep state.
4. Habits From Your Day-To-Day Life Are Affecting Your Sleep
Disruptors such as:
- Premature consumption of caffeine
- Drinking alcohol before going to sleep
- Eating heavy food before sleep
- Taking electronic devices to bed
- Having inconsistent sleep schedule
5. You Might Have An Imbalance In Nutrition Which Affects Sleep
Nutrition does not control your sleep cycle directly, but it plays a vital supportive role in it.
Nutritional Gap: What Is It That You Might Be Lacking?
Magnesium
Magnesium supports nervous system regulation and relaxation. Research suggests it may influence GABA activity, which helps calm the brain.
(https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/)
Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone that controls the sleep-wake cycle and tells your body when it is time to go to bed.
L-Theanine
L-Theanine is an amino acid that is present in tea and helps relax without causing sedation. It might be beneficial to reduce stress-related sleeping disorders.
These components, melatonin and L-Theanine, are usually present in sleeping pills to help people get better sleep and relax.
How Sleep Supplements Will Help You
Sleeping pills could help you get relaxed and sleep well if they were used together with healthy sleeping habits. These pills cannot be called a cure for sleep problems, but could be useful for something more global.
However, it is necessary to mention that these sleep supplements are most efficient if used together with some particular habits and good sleep hygiene practices. The results will vary depending on many factors like the stress level and health condition.
Ways of Getting Quality Sleep via Your Lifestyle
Apart from the intake of different kinds of dietary supplements, daily activities can help you get quality sleep without taking any kind of medication.
The following are the ways of regulating sleep cycle through your daily routine in the coming future:
- Maintain regular sleeping and waking times
- Try to keep away from any kind of electronic gadgets prior to sleeping in order to encourage the release of melatonin hormone
- Avoid consuming caffeine during the daytime and at night
- Make sure that your bedroom is cool, dark, and quiet
- Engage in relaxation techniques such as meditation and stretches before sleeping
Conclusion
In case you still feel exhausted after 8 hours of sleep, you shouldn’t think about spending more time sleeping; you should pay attention to the quality of your sleep.
The quality of your sleep can have a much bigger effect on how well-rested you are than the duration of your sleep. In order to achieve better sleep, it’s necessary to know the sleep cycles, to form good habits, to manage stress, and to make sure you get all the vitamins and other necessary nutrients.
In some cases, it might be necessary to use other methods as well. For example, one of my acquaintances used to wake up tired after having plenty of sleep until he started using Health Etc Sleep Gummies as a part of his sleeping regimen. By combining a proper sleep regimen and taking these gummies, he managed to sleep better and feel more energized when waking up in the morning.
Of course, there may be differences from one person to another, but supplements usually work the best when used in combination with healthy sleep habits.
FAQ
1. How is it possible that I feel tired even after 8 hours of sleep?
Because it is also important the quality of sleep and not only its duration. Stress, interruptions or inadequate sleep stages decrease the restfulness of the person even when he has slept long enough.
2. How many hours of deep sleep do people need?
The answer is different according to age and health condition of the person, but adults usually spend 10-25% of the total sleeping time in deep sleep.
3. Could some vitamins or other substances improve my sleeping?
Some supplements as magnesium, melatonin or L-Theanine could be helpful for relaxing and improving your sleep.
4. Would it be possible to solve my problem by sleeping more?
No. In case of bad quality sleep, just adding some more hours of sleep will not help to avoid daytime tiredness.
5. When should I visit the doctor?
In case of continuous feeling of tiredness despite sufficient amount of sleep.