The Worst Way to Wake Up (and What to Do Instead)

Are you waking up feeling groggy and unfocused? It might be sleep inertia! This video explains the science behind this common phenomenon and offers research-backed tips to help you wake up feeling refreshed and alert. Learn how the right alarm sounds, a consistent wake-up routine, and strategic use of light can all make a difference. Say goodbye to brain fog and hello to productive mornings!
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References from the video
McFarlane, Stuart J et al. “Auditory Countermeasures for Sleep Inertia: Exploring the Effect of Melody and Rhythm in an Ecological Context.” Clocks & sleep vol. 2,2 208-224. 29 May. 2020, doi:10.3390/clockssleep2020017
Ogawa, Keiko et al. “Effects of using a snooze alarm on sleep inertia after morning awakening.” Journal of physiological anthropology vol. 41,1 43. 31 Dec. 2022, doi:10.1186/s40101-022-00317-w
Muzet, Alain. "Sleep Inertia." Sleep Medicine Reviews, vol. 4, no. 4, 2000, pp. 355-365. DOI: 10.1053/smrv.2000.0098.
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Disclaimer: All of the information on this channel is for educational purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, perhaps these videos can help prepare you for your discussion with your doctor.

[@DrTraceyMarks]

THIS VIDEO HAS AN ALTERNATE ENGLISH TRACK WITHOUT SOUND EFFECTS. If you don't like sound effects, click the gear symbol and choose the English track that is not the original audio. There is also dubbed audio for Dutch, Arabic, Swedish, and German

[@_Solmega]

So thoughtful

[@cerumen]

Didn’t know KZbinrs could do this, great news

[@mohamedfarahi5399]

شكرا على مقطع اللغة العربية

[@thefictionxwelive]

Thank you so much for this option ❤

[@a-ms9760]

That's a cool feature, thank you

[@shawnaford5540]

The worst way to wake up is the sound of my cat producing a hair ball.

[@somethingyousaid5059]

Haha, I wake up to that sound every so often.

[@Cathy-xi8cb]

And the cat can do this in order to get fed.

[@lyndseygolden7546]

On your bed blek!

[@stigmatamartyr4223]

That’ll get anyone out of bed fast lol

[@jamiececilielange5249]

But it works :) Some cats also vomit early in the morning because they haven't eaten in a while. The acid builds up in their stomach, causing irritation. I had a cat which I gave a small snack before going to bed. A cat is not supposed to vomit up their hair most of the time, so a catfriendly plant (like catgrass or catnip) or more brushing might also help.

[@Itsrichardash]

I changed my alarm from the awful iPhone standard to the sound of birds chirping and I have definitely felt better while waking up!

[@Aloy406]

I’ve been trying to convince people that it’s better after I switched but they’re convinced they won’t wake up.

[@markmuller7962]

I remember as a kid I ended up being annoyed by the real life birds chirping so I had to change the alarm 😅 Edit: I found my sweet spot with the radio-alarm, I wake up with people chatting and stuff

[@MrCav35]

I don't have an audio alarm at all. My Garmin watch vibrates to wake up. Much better than being thrown out of sleep by noise.

[@deviritter5232]

Yes! I love my birdsong wake-up call. :)

[@stigmatamartyr4223]

@@Aloy406 people like me. I need a loud grating noise to get me out of bed

[@Magicme79]

On my first day of school, my mum started waking me up by coming into my room and singing Good Morning from singing in the rain. She did this every day until I graduated from high school. I hate that song 😂

[@deesimmons1301]

Love the tips!❤❤❤

[@gabby1207]

no way 😂 mine did the same thing!

[@selene6.238]

my mom did too omg. only in elementary school tho

[@aresjupiter847]

ptsd from a song

[@plantinapot9169]

God, the flashbacks. I never knew it was an actual song til now. Just looked it up and thanks, I hate it. Maybe it’s cuz I’d rather wake up early by myself, rather than the song tho? If I had to be woken it’s a tough call but I think I’d rather be rocked gently cuz then I can reach out and hug her at least

[@tmsphere]

My sleep inertia lasts from 6:30 to 18:40.

[@eddiew2325]

will u marry me

[@wguadap2]

same hahshsha

[@tazmania201]

Okay!!

[@Gorilla8762]

And then 18:40 onwards is when insomnia kicks in

[@diegocot417]

relatable

[@christophermichael5764]

I used to wake my son up in the mornings; I would speak gently and greet him with a hug- kind affirmations. Now that he is in middle school, he uses the alarm on his phone. There is a noticeable difference with how he handles the morning. This video is my sign to restart the habit. The world is a terrible place, so I might as well gently speak life into him in the mornings. EDIT: You guys do realize that I don't intend on doing this forever, right? Children will grow up, please don't make this weird lol.

[@philippamediwake1235]

Please don’t think of the world being a terrible place. Also never ever pass negative ideas about the world to your children (just incase you do)! How people perceive the world is an individual thing but the more positively we view the world, the more positively our children will react to life (at least i hope it works like this)!

[@parishka.]

i wish i had a parent like you

[@splatterybattery]

@@parishka.AWH I WISH YOU DID TOO!!!! Heck even a roomie(/roommate) that would gently wake you up since they get up early enough. Cuz now I wish I could do that for you ahhh. I hope one day you get that kinda experience or some other lovely experiences to make up for it!

[@pixels1081]

​@philippamediwake1235 Yes, but children will know that the world isn't always kind, and they won't need someone to tell them for them to know. Sadly.

[@Joyfillied]

@@philippamediwake1235, “since it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker..” ~C.S. Lewis The point here is, we have all met & will meet “cruel enemies” regardless of our age…so children should learn about dragons before they meet them & learn about brave knights and heroic courage so they can be the brave knight with heroic courage…it’s not “don’t paint the world as a dark place”, it’s “paint the world as a dark place with lots of lights fighting back against the darkness. Teach them that we (the parents) are battling the darkness on their behalf until they are old enough to pick up a sword themselves…and then teach them that we can all fight together & be havens of safety & comfort to one another…teach them that the world isn’t light, but that it can be lightened.”

[@a-ms9760]

I generally have to feel there's a life-threatening situation in order to wake up immediately but i'll give the gentle birds thing a go

[@valentinag1966]

Same haha

[@justanotherloki5569]

If you can update us, that'd be great. I have the same thing and want to try this.

[@lilyzzzzzz]

Update!!

[@blake_404]

UPDATE

[@tanishachoudhuri]

update pls

[@gandoff7840]

I need at least 2 hours to get ready for work in the mornings.

[@DidiOxijin]

me too! sometimes it takes longer :)

[@anuragmahajan5919]

Me too, it takes about 3.5 hrs

[@Dm3qXY]

and i work from home.. imagine jumping from bed to giving justifications for delays and such..

[@thephysicslab]

Easy. Sleep for 110 more minutes. Skip morning, drive fast. 👍

[@DidiOxijin]

@@thephysicslab isn’t that exactly what Dr Tracy does not recommend? I’m not sure if I understood your point

[@razemander]

Hilarious that this just popped up after i just woke up at 2:46pm lol

[@riasb]

8am here 😂 i feel this

[@TinkletitsMcGee]

Night shift?

[@christinacreates2393]

6am here

[@melissablue8504]

Just woke up from dog barking

[@wguadap2]

is this a sign?🤣

[@katrinat.3032]

You have such great videos. They’re the right length. They get to the point. They’re well explained. They’re practical. You have a great channel.

[@DrTraceyMarks]

Thank you so much!

[@Eva-ww8kx]

Marc Rebillet's "Wake up" has now been my alarm for about a year: the combination of an awesome song and the panic induced by knowing that all the neighbours are woken up by the screams of a man in the early hours has me running out of bed and in a pretty good mood every morning. (as an extremely deep sleeper, anything calmer has led to much oversleeping)

[@wolfe6220]

Yessss!!!! I had that as my alarm for many months!

[@monimonmo]

Haha it's a great tune, but a bit too much for me as I wake up, especially when he starts screaming

[@2buds1shroom]

Hahahaha, this guy f**ks. I also like the build up of that song lol

[@sketchyartz5167]

It’s ironic that I’m watching this at 1:25am knowing I’ll wake up late after sleeping tonight

[@pantegohummus8215]

Same😂

[@Ecclectic_citcelccE]

Thanks for offering various solutions after explaining the real problems and their causes. We're not just lazy 😊

[@DrTraceyMarks]

You're welcome, and that's right. You're not!

[@sheryltaylor7181]

I don't in general have good mornings, I'm very slow in clearing the cobwebs out of my brain. I've been this way my entire life (60 plus years) no matter how I wake-up. Now I don't schedule anything before 10am.

[@kk70x7]

This is real!

[@tinterlight-iz5tl]

Any chance you could do a video on sleep procrastination? I'm in a rut with it!! Thanks for all your work on this channel!!

[@mummommajamamaii5690]

That’s why I can’t get up right away. I’ve always told myself I got to roll into my day. Thanks for the science behind this.

[@mariajs]

Changing my alarm right now😂

[@vancetang2288]

So did I😂😂 even though I am pretty adamant about sleep because of Dr. Matthew Walker

[@miriamhernandezfont9477]

😂 Same!

[@marniesantoyo4469]

I did too!! We’ll see how it goes tomorrow…

[@jenniferg3402]

Me too

[@Christynmaine]

I’ve done this for about a year now. I used to immediately stop my annoying alarm. I set my phone alarm to my playlist now and wake up with my favorite music. 🎶

[@uwepfaff9226]

Sounds like the quickest way to start hating my favorite playlists :'D

[@SugarDemon132]

Thankfully I have an android so there's nothing but an endless free peaceful sounds to wake up to lol. I remember my mom used to come in my room and sing "you are my sunshine" every year for my 1st day of school until I graduated high school😊❤ it honestly helped lol

[@TakeMeAWeigh]

I don’t wake up to pleasant melodies. I will sleep clean through it and wonder if the alarm ever went off🤣 I will experiment again when I don’t have anything going on maybe on a weekend or something.

[@SuaveSoule]

Exactly what I was thinking. Sleep inertia or not I gotta get to work or I’m gonna be sleeping on the street

[@server_and_dragon]

Same for me. If the music is too pleasant my brain goes "oh, it's such a nice song, let's listen to it more" and here's your missed alarm. And sounds of nature it doesn't even register as an alarm sound.

[@lindac6919]

How about the smell of coffee? that gets me out of bed!

[@gray_mara]

Maybe you just need more sleep?

[@PsycheTrance65]

same. i think its because i used to leave the radio on or listen to music through earphones when i slept, so anything that isnt a harsh alarm noise gets filtered out for me. I'm gonna try it with a louder volume than normal this time around and see if that helps

[@markmuller7962]

I have ADHD and weirdly enough the vitamine B12 Ive started taking recently has fixed my not waking up in the morning problem 🤷‍♀️

[@anuragmahajan5919]

Interesting

[@markmuller7962]

@@anuragmahajan5919 Yes but now I have kind of the opposite problem (still very happy tho), the fist sun light lowers my sleep quality by a lot and then I wake up too early (also because I go to sleep too late, thx ADHD). I've started sleeping with one of these masks to block the light, it's pretty mich perfect now :) P.s. take in mind that I take a fairly high dosage of Vitamine B12 because I'm vegetarian, it's basically the elderly dosage

[@anuragmahajan5919]

@@markmuller7962 I understand, I'm not stranger to problems with ADHD and sleep

[@BlackVultureX]

I’ll try anything at this point. I have all the same issues and use a sleep mask. Thanks.

[@markmuller7962]

@@BlackVultureX No problem! I just hope that these issues doesn't get worse with the supplements, be careful

[@GabyAR7575]

I have an Aurora's song for alarm tune. I used to woke up screaming and sitting in bed, because of the alarm. The same happens to me when someone's ( or my cats 😼)wake me up. I feel absolute terror. So Aurora is so soft and her voice is so calm

[@tellmeifyouwannagohome9729]

Which song? I'm thinking of using "Your Blood" but I don't want to eventually hate it 😂

[@user-sz3cy2sm2w]

​@@tellmeifyouwannagohome9729I'm using my favourite Sampha's song Without for several months. Before I used other favourite songs. And I've never started to hate them, on the contrary I love them more. It's so magical and cinematic to wake up wanting to sing and dance.

[@spacemusic3287]

I used A Potion For Love for some time.

[@Judy-oo2my]

Using a light alarm clock instead of a normal alarm has changed my waking up so much. I haven't used the snooze button since.

[@mihailnikolov5535]

I've been loosely following your channel for a while now, and seeing incremental changes over the years. Now, I am beyond proud of how far you've come, and how amazing your videos keep being. Thank you!

[@TommyLellan]

“Slow Rise” on iPhone. Game-changer.

[@christineamina8789]

Amazing! Thank you so much for the dubbing 🎉 Such great work may you be rewarded for your sharing of knowledge. Peace❤

[@RutabegaNG]

I went from an alarm that scared me awake to one that gradually got louder and playing a melodic tune. That was great but I needed more. I found a cheap sunrise clock to try out. Long story short, I'm on my third sunrise clock. My second was for light quality. Unfortunately that one stopped working in less than a year so I had to replace it. I need to change the sound on my current one. My last one used birdsong and it was fantastic. I have blinds on my bedroom windows, no curtains, on purpose, and even with that light coming in, the sunrise alarm helps. I do still hit the snooze but rarely more than once. Significant improvement over hitting it eight or nine times.

[@calliannechurch346]

So cool to hear the type of sound thing validated! This was something I realized about myself years ago. The blaring wake up calls were awful and all I wanted was for it to stop. It also raised my heart rate directly after wake up.

[@jokepple6792]

Dr Marks, I love your commonsense and practical explanations and possible solutions. I have used your talks on a personal level for a few years now and I’m constantly reassured by your facts and the manner in which you explain them. This is a tremendous resource and one that is incredibly valuable. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience to help others.

[@psicologiajoseh]

You are getting really efficient and precise with your videos, making them even more useful. Thanks!

[@lovelybible]

Beautiful and helpful video, thank you!!

[@BurdofSin]

Love your channel so much, thank you for every you share to us! It’s very helpful and educational 💜

[@SMS0930]

I’ve never been OK waking up to a loud alarm clock buzz. I’ve always used a low volume radio to wake up and it definitely makes my morning start off better. Thanks for the science behind the information. 😊

[@noeliadelacruz1181]

Dr. Dr.!!!OMG Dr. You saved me. I've been diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety and every morning I woke up with fast heartbeat and like in a rush! Even had to take ansiolotics for that. But this video saved meeeee. I did everything you said: I changed my alarm with a nature soft sound, with progressive volume, 20 mins before actually get ready and everything disappeared. God bless you so much. I wish I could get a session with you to treat my panick attacks. ❤❤

[@dianajane6185]

Very good. Thank you!

[@maryn4150]

i love her voice, and how she explain things!

[@sabrinamusgrove8644]

Thank you! This makes so much sense. I’m making a change starting tonight 😊

[@nataliea.s.4595]

I love this video, and it can help so many people! Definitely sharing broadly!

[@vancetang2288]

Thank you Dr. Marks for your kind reminder 😊😊❤

[@heyna.]

this is why I love the sleep cycle calculator + Endel’s smart alarm feature

[@bernievielwerth1953]

Another very informative video, thank you Dr. Bernie in Palm Springs.

[@patolorde]

Thanks I needed this

[@BigIndianBindi-jy1cz]

i need cool videogame music for an alarm. Like the intro of Zelda OOT.

[@danicosta2286]

That's actually a good idea but I couldn't risk hating the intro later 😭

[@maxdon2001]

Great video!

[@JanaScal]

Thank you for the video

[@WiillZero]

Thank you! You’ve helped me so much ❤

[@RonnieWisdom]

Powerful! I learned something new today, thank you!

[@peachyscorpio]

There's just something about the way you talk & explain everything that is very comforting🩷

[@peggyerickson2549]

Thank u again Dr Mark's. Helpful as always!!

[@faithfee]

Great video thanks so much ⭐️❤️

[@terany.geiger]

This video is wonderful ❤❤❤ thank you!!

[@crashh-course]

this is the most helpful video ive seen in long

[@mateomoreno331]

thank you so muchdr Tracey!!! I just managed to wake my sister up using a known song and increasing the volume up bit by bit. I would just call her a heavy sleeper but now I know it was sleep inertia what has been bothering her!!

[@mariarivera8123]

Thank you!!

[@JessicaSkyy]

Thank you for this!

[@tcowan33]

I’m always worried about those soothing. Sounds because I think I’ll feel like I’m dreaming and stay asleep lol but I’m gonna try it on a day. I don’t have to be up at a certain time. I’m so glad I found this video!

[@lnxguit]

Wonderful advice! Your videos are always useful to me, thank you :-)

[@sarasa-pe3ew]

This explains a lot, today I woke up to a loud sound, I live in a building. And here it is common. I learned that to get to work early I must get up at least 1 hour and a half before and it coincides with what you explain in the video, thanks for the explanation. I have some anxiety related complications. But I see how it can be useful to a lot of people who struggle with being late for work too.

[@eveywrens]

Sleep inertia has been a real problem for me for the last few years. My circadian rhythm is based on sunrise. My previous employer allowed me to set my own schedule, so I could arrive at 9 am and leave at 6 (with the bonus of missing rush hour traffic). My current supervisor, a university professor, insists all employees arrive at 8 am so younger employees will show up on time 🤔. A cup of coffee no longer helps. If I wake up with sleep inertia, 80% of the time I will have a less productive day at work. Changed my alarm to music. Putting my phone out of reach so I can't hit snooze. Thanks for the tips.

[@DashFlashTheLife]

So THAT explains it! Whenever I fall asleep to my favorite playlists and wake up to some soft, beautiful song that I’m familiar with, it just luls me awake in the best way possible

[@andysartz]

This is a very insightful video, thanks! As someone who has had insomnia pretty much my whole life, I've read a lot about sleep, and watched a ton of videos too. I thought I had heard it all, but this video still had something new for me. Thank you for sharing! =)

[@fromyana.]

I knew it! that’s why when i was using a waterfall alarm, i was able to get up early verses the times i used songs for my alarm.

[@larailiccc]

Thank you.

[@MissMeina]

I always love your videos ☺️

[@mariapuisis4029]

Thanks doc, good tips to remember and apply.

[@scotchbarrel4429]

Great advice Doc, might of miss this in Hubermans latest sleep series. I remember it being mentioned, but this vid definitely hammers it home. Firat step, adjusting my alarm tone, everything else is sorted, ty 👊😎

[@hnichole]

She really called me out with the example at the end lol. If asked, I say it takes me 45 minutes to get ready in the morning, but since summer started I've been finding myself late to things I'm not normally late to. I was literally wondering the other day what my problem was (because I'm really not the kind of person to be late), and this video helped me connect that my problem is I've changed my sleep schedule over the summer and I'm not adding time to actually "wake up." I'm going to give it a shot and see if it helps.

[@DidiOxijin]

I found my waking up song 2 years ago and it definitely helps. It is still a big challenge while recovering from depression (2nd year) but I already manage to wake up everyday around 7 am :)

[@LobyDobster]

Wow thank you for letting me know that all my random and weird decisions and habits are all actually useful and recommended.

[@clebbercarvalho]

You blowed my mind with the snooze part! Ty

[@rrruirite]

Bravo pour le travail de traduction impeccable !

[@shaylahealinglight]

Thank you

[@sashka_shevtsova_ukr]

Thank you, it's really helpful!

[@stefaniegoerlach]

Good Reminder thanks 😊👍🏻

[@scipioafricanus4875]

Explains a lot thanks

[@mariastella3797]

Amazing tips!❤❤

[@Geezy333official]

Hey, I’ve been listening watching enjoying and finding your deep insights and knowledge on such subjects so helpful! I’m Dav , in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 just wanted to state my appreciation and respect to you for going above and beyond . Unfortunately deep analysis like yours isn’t happening here for me, I use the mind techniques and I’ve came far. I love how you install more detail more diagnosis’s that could be missed by other professionals. Anyway love ❤️ to you . Thanks for being awesome

[@oliverrojas3185]

Thank you, thanks

[@hedge931]

Very good information, thank you

[@MathewSan_]

Great video 👍

[@sideman7117]

Very helpful. Thx

[@Lancetronium]

Thank you doctor, that's super helpful

[@K0HAKU_97]

My alarm is a piano rendition of “Dearly Beloved” composed by Michael Tai. Been using it for nearly a decade and love it

[@behindtys_smile]

This popped up right when I needed it

[@poetryandpurpose]

thanks for this

[@Bubitunasha1995]

This makes so mucj sence to me! I do most of the things, but know I know how important it is to keep doing them continuesly and not slack on it! I think this will help with my ADHD ❤

[@Olivia-qg2qh]

This is reading me. Thank you

[@nerdbamarich2063]

Thank you for this

[@DrTraceyMarks]

My pleasure!

[@delfinal7560]

Wonderful video

[@EcomCarl]

Great insights! Establishing a soothing wake-up routine can make a significant difference in how we perform mentally and physically throughout the day. 🌞

[@eureka2694]

Oh! So that's my problem. Thanks

[@kabayin]

Configuring automatic light to wake up was a life changer for me

[@videlsol]

I love your videod, I have bpd and take seroquel for my treatment, so getting up and wake up it's difficult every morning, and even worst if i'm tired or stressed, so I love the tips for this problem

[@buzzyboo6673]

I had to stop using an alarm clock years ago since I woke up so disoriented (also very irritated!). Now my body/brain will always wake me up naturally and I am alert and calm and I don't (rarely anyway 😊) oversleep.

[@oyandakona5994]

Heavy rain sounds makes me sleepy🥱❤️

[@jessicagallup4814]

Thanks for the information! I have a Hatch alarm clock ⏰ and it is set to wake me up to a birdsong-on top of a gentle, gradual sunrise. Apparently Hatch knows what they are doing and it is worth the money spent 😅

[@godschosen658]

You are so informative😢😊

[@siunchu]

I like to put hype music as my alarm, it really helps! Also I like to think of the first song you listen to in the morning as your own tv theme song and with each day being a new episode of your life hehe

[@Qey6723]

This was very helpful, I struggle with this to a great degree, it has made my mental health worse.

[@rickbeastrandolph]

Teach!!!