Melatonin grooginess
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Grogginess associated with melatonin is not extensively studied, but discusses some related concepts in terms of sleep management. Waking up in the middle of the night might be linked to the timing of your melatonin pulse. If you stay up late, despite feeling tired earlier, you might disrupt the natural decline of melatonin, leading to waking up prematurely in the early morning hours when your cortisol levels increase. This might contribute to a sense of grogginess or sleep disruption.
He suggests aligning your sleep schedule more closely with your natural melatonin pulse by going to bed earlier. Alternatively, if an early bedtime is not feasible, exposure to bright light in the evening could delay melatonin release, potentially adjusting your sleep-wake cycle more favorably.
For those who wake up due to anxiety or other issues, using techniques like dim lighting and non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) can help in getting back to sleep smoothly 1.
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