Still Tired After Sleeping 8 Hours? This Could Be The Annoying Reason Why

We've all had those mornings when you can't seem to shake the grogginess—even if you got a full eight hours of sleep. And if it's happening on a consistent basis, you're no doubt wondering what can be done.

The answer may lie in deep and REM sleep—specifically, how much of it you're getting. And as it turns out, the number of hours you're asleep isn't necessarily associated with how much deep sleep you're getting. Here's why the later sleep stages are so essential to achieving restful and restorative sleep, plus how to get more of them.

Why REM sleep is so important for energized mornings

We cycle through four stages of sleep every night, each with a different function. There's Stage 1, as you drift off; Stage 2, or light sleep; Stage 3, which is deep sleep; and finally Stage 4, or REM sleep.

In deep sleep, the body repairs cells and promotes muscle and tissue growth. And in REM sleep, which happens to be the sleep stage in which we dream, the brain is believed to consolidate memories.

These sleep stages are crucial to wake up feeling rested. Your total hours asleep could be optimized (say around 8 hours a night). But it can really come down to how much deep sleep and REM sleep you get.

Unfortunately, some of us have more difficultly achieving deep sleep and REM sleep than others. Whether because of issues like insomnia or anxiety, certain medications, even drinking before bed—the list goes on. Luckily, there are a few things we can do to help our bodies get into deeper sleep every night.

How to get more REM sleep

To ease into a deep, restorative night's sleep, your body and nervous system need to be able to relax. This will help you not only fall asleep faster but stay asleep and cycle through the sleep stages effectively. One way to help do this is with a magnesium supplement.

Other tips to help stay asleep and wake up refreshed include:

The takeaway

When we don't get quality REM and deep sleep, we'll feel it—and nothing throws off a day like waking up groggy. But with a good bedtime routine, the right supplement, and a consistent sleep schedule, it's possible for our bodies to get back to a good night's sleep.