How to feel less tired on longer, darker days (and why it all starts with your breakfast)

Sadly, the answer to feeling less tired when you wake up isn’t going back to bed for a few hours – it’s tucking into a protein-rich breakfast… and leaving the coffee for later. 

It’s the sage advice of Dr Deborah Lee, a former NHS Lead Clinician who has shared five vital tips for starting the day feeling refreshed, even during the cold and gloomy darker months.

The notion of saving your coffee for your commute may send some caffeine addicts into freefall, but the natural stimulant has the potential to cause a spike in the stress hormone, cortisol. 

Cortisol spikes can leave you feeling jittery and on edge – an uncomfortable sensation regardless of the season. 

Dr Lee’s other major piece of advice will disappoint people who rely on sugary cereals or a slice of toast to power them through to lunch – and those who skip it altogether.

Like scores of other medical experts, she promotes the idea of eating a nutritious and protein-packed meal to kickstart your day. 

But being mindful of when you have your first coffee and turning down jam on toast isn’t the only way to start the day feeling refreshed. 

Read on for Dr Lee’s tips in full, and find out what you should be doing in lieu of pouring a bleary-eyed Americano…  

1. Do not have coffee as soon as you wake up   

Speaking to the Huffington Post, Dr Lee explained that starting your day with a caffeine spike might not be the great idea that it seems – not because it will make you ill, but because you won’t reap the stimulant’s full effects. 

Dr Lee said: ‘You shouldn’t be reaching for the caffeine until at least 45 minutes after you wake up, as this is when the caffeine will give you the biggest fix.’   

It’s estimated that people in the UK collectively sip 98 million cups of coffee a day.

And while coffee in all its forms – from an icy frappe to potent shots of espresso – has an undeniably moreish flavour, it’s the buzz on offer which people truly crave. 

Coffee is naturally rich in caffeine, a natural stimulant that has the power to give you some serious get-up-and-go, especially in the mornings when you’re feeling a bit groggy. 

Although it might not seem like it some days, when we wake up our body is flooded with the stress hormone cortisol, which is responsible for us being in ‘fight or flight mode’.

It takes around 30 to 45 minutes for the cortisol cycle to peak – this is known as the Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) – so if you drink caffeine before the hormone has naturally started to wane, you run the risk of becoming over-stimulated and jittery. 

Coffee can also have a negative effect on our blood sugar levels, which like a cortisol spike, has the potential to derail our mood. 

Research has found that caffeine can cause temporary spikes in blood glucose levels as it stimulates the release of adrenaline, which then triggers the liver to breakdown and release glucose.

Similar to sugary cereals, a 2020 study found a cup of coffee first thing in the morning can disrupt your blood sugar levels.

James Betts, a professor in metabolic physiology at the University of Bath, who led the research on their findings said: ‘Put simply, our blood sugar control is impaired when the first thing our bodies come into contact with is coffee especially after a night of disrupted sleep. 

‘We might improve this by eating first and then drinking coffee later if we feel we still feel need it. Knowing this can have important health benefits for us all.’

However, coffee isn’t all bad. Research has shown that people who drink coffee regularly can enjoy a range of health benefits, including a lower risk of heart disease and dementia due to its natural antioxidant properties.

Healthy adults should consume no more than 300-400mg of caffeine daily, and no more than 200mg at a time, advises the European Food Safety Authority (the UK has no official guidance on caffeine intake).

That’s about the same as five espressos (75mg per shot), two energy drinks, or a large coffee from a high-street chain – although caffeine amounts can vary wildly. 

2. Get serious about breakfast

It can be tempting to have cereal or toast in the morning when you’re in a rush, but Dr Lee says your breakfast should also always include protein.

She explained: ‘A breakfast that is rich in both carbohydrates and protein should make you feel more alert quickly.’

A high-protein breakfast can help you stay fuller for longer, ensuring you’re not distracted by a rumbling stomach as the day makes way for the afternoon.

In contrast, sweet cereals can cause spikes in your blood sugar levels, which won’t help you feel more alert in a morning meeting, Dr Lee said.

Many people choose to skip breakfast as they are trying to lose weight, but it can have the opposite effect. 

Earlier this year, Spanish scientists pinpointed the amount of calories people should ingest for their first meal of the day if they are looking to shed a few pounds. 

They concluded that dieters should aim to eat between 20 to 30 per cent of their daily energy intake for the most important meal of the day.

That’s between 500-750 calories for men, and 400-600 for women.

Getting serious about early morning nutrition can also have a positive effect on your mental health, as well as physical. 

In February, a study suggested that tucking into breakfast before 9am could significantly reduce your risk of suffering depression.

Scientists found men and women who ate after 9am were 28 per cent more likely to have low mood and mental health problems than those eating their first meal of the day before 8am.

Skipping breakfast altogether had a similarly damaging impact on psychological well-being, the study found.

3. Jump out of bed and exercise

While exercise may be the last thing you want to do in the morning, Dr Lee explained that it can help you wake up more quickly.

She explained ‘research has shown that doing a 30-minute workout with a medium effort will help you wake up a lot quicker than if you weren’t to reduce sleepiness’.

It doesn’t need to be anything intense. Dr Lee says it can be as simple as a short walk, which can also help you get morning light.

Previously, a study found natural sunlight on a morning walk can lower stress and could treat seasonal affective disorder, also known as ‘winter depression’.

4. Protecting the circadian rhythm

The NHS advises that adults get between seven and nine hours sleep per night for optimal health. 

Healthy levels of good-quality sleep protect against multiple illnesses and life-limiting conditions, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease and even some cancers.

However, a YouGov poll found one in eight Britons admit they sleep for less than six hours each night.  

Not getting enough sleep can leave you feeling delirious and unwell, and that’s all down to your circadian rhythm being out of sync.

Also known as the body clock, it regulates our sleep, internal temperature and hormone release.

Dr Lee said that protecting it – and giving it what it needs to work optimally is crucial for a stress-free morning. 

She explained: ‘A huge factor in this is routine and ensuring you’re going to sleep at the same time each night and waking up at the same time each morning. 

‘It isn’t just your sleeping pattern that needs to be kept in routine, but your daily meals, your shower and bath routine and your technology “switch off” time.’

This also includes on the weekends, she said, which can be tough, but ‘will make your Monday wake-up a lot easier’.

5. Using natural light or a SAD lamp to wake up

Waking up better tomorrow begins tonight; either invest in a SAD lamp or leave the curtains open so you can wake up naturally with the sunrise. 

When you see light in the morning, Dr Lee said: ‘It gives signals to your brain that it’s time to wake up.’

In an ideal world, she advises people to ‘utilise natural light by opening the curtains and getting outside as soon as possible’.

But in the colder autumn months, the morning sky can be filled with clouds, or you may be waking up while it’s still dark.

If this is the case, she recommended investing in a ‘night lamp’ or a seasonal affective disorder (SAD) lamp that ‘you can put on first thing in the morning’.

‘These lamps will wake you, so it won’t be such a shock to the eyes when there’s a big, bright light next to you,’ she explained.

Worryingly three in in ten Britons said they very often still feel tired when they wake up in the morning, so a gentle rousing by a SAD lamp might be able to help.