You wake up after a full night’s sleep, only to feel like you haven’t rested at all.
No matter how long you sleep, you battle fatigue, struggling to function throughout the day.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many people struggle with chronic tiredness, even after what seems like sufficient sleep.
The question is: why?
The answer might lie in the habits you don’t even realize you’re doing.
Sometimes, the very things that seem harmless—or even beneficial—can be the ones draining your energy without you noticing.
In this article, we’ll uncover 9 habits that people who constantly oversleep but still feel tired tend to display, offering insight into what might be sabotaging your energy levels.
1) Regularly hitting the snooze button
We’ve all been there—alarm blares, you’re still deep in slumber, and the snooze button seems like a sweet escape.
But here’s the kicker: while you think you’re giving yourself a few more minutes of rest, you’re actually making it harder for your body to wake up. This is because the snooze button disrupts your sleep cycle, making you feel groggy and tired even after getting out of bed.
Worse yet, this habit often leads to oversleeping which we know can leave you feeling more tired than if you’d just gotten up with your first alarm.
So if you’re one of those people who hits snooze several times before finally getting out of bed, it might be why you wake up feeling exhausted despite clocking in plenty of sleep hours.
The first step towards fixing this?
Resist that tempting snooze button!
2) Late-night screen time
I can speak from personal experience on this one.
There was a time when I would stay up late, glued to my phone or laptop, catching up on my favorite shows or scrolling through social media.
I’d sleep in to make up for the late nights, but I’d still wake up feeling lethargic and drained.
The culprit?
All that screen time right before bed.
Research shows that exposure to artificial light from screens can suppress the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep.
This disrupts your body’s internal clock, leading to poor sleep quality and an overall feeling of tiredness upon waking, regardless of how many hours you’ve slept.
So if you’re like me and love a good binge-watch session or social media scroll before bed, it might be worth reconsidering.
Try turning off your screens a couple of hours before bedtime and see if it makes a difference to your energy levels in the morning.
3) Consuming caffeine late in the day
Caffeine is a wonderful pick me up, but it can be a double-edged sword when it comes to sleep.
Believe it or not, caffeine can stay in your system for up to 10 hours. That means that cup of coffee you’re having in the afternoon could still be affecting you when it’s time to hit the hay.
It’s not just coffee either—tea, chocolate, certain medications, and even some types of soda can contain caffeine.
Consuming these late in the day can interfere with your ability to fall asleep and the quality of sleep you get.
4) Lack of physical activity
Exercise plays a crucial role in the quality of our sleep. It’s been proven that regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and enjoy deeper sleep.
But if your lifestyle lacks regular movement, it can leave you in a cycle of oversleeping and still feeling tired. This is because exercise helps reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms, which are often linked to sleep issues.
If your day-to-day routine involves spending a lot of time sitting or lying down with little to no physical activity, this could be contributing to your perpetual tiredness.
Incorporating even a small amount of exercise into your routine might just make the difference.
5) Inconsistent sleep schedule
Our bodies thrive on routine, especially when it comes to sleep. We have an internal body clock, known as the circadian rhythm, that regulates our sleep-wake cycle.
When we stick to a consistent sleep schedule, our body knows when it’s time to wind down for sleep and when it’s time to wake up.
But if we’re constantly changing our sleep times, it can throw this rhythm out of whack.
If you’re habitually going to bed and waking up at different times, your body can struggle to establish a healthy sleep-wake cycle. This can lead to oversleeping and still feeling tired.
Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule could be key in breaking this cycle. Try going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends, and see if it helps you feel more rested.
6) Neglecting self-care
We live in a busy world where it can feel like there’s always something demanding our attention. In the midst of all this, it can be easy to neglect taking care of ourselves.
But here’s the truth: self-care (or lack of) has a profound impact on our sleep and overall well-being.
If you’re constantly running on empty, sacrificing rest for work, or ignoring your emotional and physical needs, it can disrupt your sleep and leave you feeling perpetually tired.
It’s okay to take time for yourself, to rest, to do things that bring you joy. In fact, you might just find that it improves the quality of your sleep and leaves you feeling more refreshed, even if you’re sleeping the same amount of hours.
7) Eating heavy meals close to bedtime
I recall a time when late-night snacking was my go-to comfort. A hefty meal or a sugary treat right before bed seemed like the perfect way to end the day.
But over time, I noticed I’d wake up feeling sluggish and tired, even after a full night’s sleep.
After some research, I discovered that eating heavy meals close to bedtime can cause discomfort and disrupt sleep.
When we eat, our body goes into digestion mode which can keep us awake or cause restless sleep.
So while a late-night feast might seem comforting, it could be the very thing robbing you of restful sleep and leaving you feeling drained in the morning.
8) Not getting enough sunlight
You might not realize it, but sunlight plays a critical role in regulating our sleep-wake cycle. It helps keep our internal body clock, or circadian rhythm, on track.
Exposure to natural light during the day boosts our production of melatonin, the hormone that tells our body it’s time to sleep.
But if you’re spending most of your time indoors away from natural light, it can disrupt this cycle.
This can leave you feeling tired during the day, leading to longer sleep periods and a lingering feeling of fatigue.
So if you’re not getting enough sunlight, make it a point to step outside during the day or open your curtains to let in natural light. It may just improve your sleep quality and energy levels.
9) Ignoring potential sleep disorders
If you’re consistently oversleeping and still feeling tired, it might be more than just poor habits.
Sleep disorders like sleep apnea, insomnia, or restless leg syndrome can significantly impact the quality of your sleep.
These conditions often go undiagnosed because people dismiss their symptoms as just being ‘not a morning person’ or ‘needing a lot of sleep’.
But if you’ve tried improving your sleep habits and still struggle with constant fatigue, it might be worth speaking to a healthcare professional.
Final thoughts: It’s a journey
If you’ve been struggling with chronic tiredness despite getting plenty of sleep, understanding the habits that might be draining your energy is the first step toward reclaiming your vitality.
Often, it’s the small, unnoticed behaviors that pile up and leave you feeling exhausted.
By identifying and addressing these habits, you can begin to restore balance to your routine, improve your energy levels, and finally start feeling the benefits of restful sleep.
