How do you usually feel when you wake up? Do you ever get that slow, groggy feeling as you get ready to start your day?
That feeling is known as sleep inertia.
According to a study, that blurry feeling you have when you first wake up is kind of like being drunk. Although you might not notice the full extent of these effects.
Sleep inertia sometimes only lasts a few minutes, but its effects can linger for a few hours. The study tested the problem-solving abilities of people who had just awakened from eight hours of sleep. It turns out that the subjects performed most poorly during the first three minutes after waking up. There's some evidence suggesting that the areas of the brain in charge of problem solving and complex thought take longer to wake up than other parts.
So why does this matter? For most people, they just need to take a few minutes in the morning and you're ready to roll.
But if you're a doctor or firefighter or anyone who might have to wake up suddenly and snap into action, sleep inertia is a bigger deal to pay attention to.
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