Lifestyle changes can help fight sleep inertia

DEAR DOCTORS: I recently heard on social media about something called sleep inertia. It came up in a conversation about how to get a better night’s sleep. Is this real, or was it invented? I often don’t feel refreshed when I wake up and wonder if sleep inertia might be why.

DEAR READER: While sleep inertia sounds like one of the health memes that trend on social media, in fact, it is a real thing. The name refers to the persistent grogginess that sometimes occurs upon awakening. It’s a temporary state and typically subsides within 30 minutes or so. Sometimes, though, it can take a few hours to shake off.

When someone has sleep inertia, they awaken feeling thick, fuzzy and out of sync. They often find their cognitive abilities are slower than usual. The intensity and duration of the symptoms can vary. It is known to be more pronounced among night-shift workers,…