Recently, I have been waking up in a bad mood. I soon began to wonder why I wake up in such a bad mood, while my boyfriend, for example, doesn’t. I started to notice how it changes my days – how frustrated I have become, impatient, and demotivated. So, I asked myself, does it say anything about the quality of my sleep? Or rather, does it say anything about my life?

Well, after doing some research, I discovered that grouchiness is associated with the “sleep inertia” phase. Sleep inertia is a traditional period of anger that typically lasts between five and 20 minutes after a person wakes up. As you probably know, waking up is a slow and unpleasant process. That is why morning anger doesn’t necessarily indicate bad night sleeping.

However, how some people manage to redirect their anger into cheer, is an individualized and specific thing. While grouchiness could be associated with tiredness and not getting enough rest, it could also be symptomatic of having a bad attitude about the day.

Let me give you an example. I have a very great friend who recently started working at a new job. Lastly, she has been having issues at her new workplace and is struggling to fit in. As a result, she has a very different attitude on Monday morning in comparison to Saturday morning. She has such a negative approach on weekdays, that her bad mood from the morning carries on with her throughout the whole day.

That was to say that, for most people, morning grumpiness indicates an over-scheduled life, with not enough sleep and not much to look forward to. So, the first thing to do is to make sure you are getting enough rest. Second, get a good reason to wake up in the morning. It doesn’t have to be a ginormous thing, but also a pet, a loved one, etc.

Every day that we get on this planet is a blessing, so make sure to start them on the right note.