If you’re regularly waking up feeling groggy, tired or even anxious and on edge, you’re far from alone. I’m regularly there with you.

While I often attribute it to just being a parent (I was woken up a grand total of four times last night alone), some days I’ll get a solid seven hours and still wake up feeling fatigued.

And there might be another explanation (or five) as to why I – and many like me – wake up so groggy each day.

According to hormone health expert Mike Kocsis, of Balance My Hormones, the first 60 to 90 minutes after waking are perhaps the most hormonally sensitive of the whole day.

This period of time is when your body determines how focused, alert and resilient you will be for the next 12 hours, he says.

Understandably, then, small habits and routines in the morning can either balance that process or completely ruin it.

Here are just some of the habits you might want to avoid going forward…

I am a serial snooze-button-pusher – and it turns out, I’m really not doing myself any favours. While it might seem like a fairly harmless habit on the face of it, Kocsis suggests it creates hormonal chaos.

“Each time your alarm goes off, the brain slightly wakes, releases adrenaline and cortisol, then is pushed back into sleep again,” he says. “Over time, this stop-start cycle breaks down the body’s natural cortisol (the stress hormone) awakening response.”

You’re basically giving yourself a series of false starts, which can leave you feeling mentally sluggish, irritable and groggy.

His advice for chronic snoozers is to “set your alarm 10 minutes later and allow one short snooze only”.

“This prevents repeated adrenaline spikes and helps cortisol rise more naturally,” he explains.

Reaching for your phone as soon as you wake might feel like second nature, but the onslaught of notifications, emails and news headlines you’re met with are all signalling urgency, which your brain processes as a stress cue, triggering cortisol.

This might leave you feeling wired early in the morning, but will subsequently be followed by a crash in motivation, focus and mood later in the afternoon, says Kocsis.

“Rather than banning your phone completely, delay overstimulating content,” he advises morning scrollers.

“Keep notifications off and avoid any news or emails, however, allow music or a timer. This stops cortisol from peaking too early while still giving routine.”

Coffee in bed might sound delightful, but health and wellness expert Andy Briggs from XO Fitness says your body actually produces its own natural “wake-up” hormone (cortisol) around 30-45 minutes after you wake.

“Hitting caffeine too early can mess with that process, make coffee less effective, spike stress levels, and even leave you dehydrated,” he explains.

His advice is to start with water instead, as after 6-8 hours without fluids, your body needs rehydrating.

If you do drink coffee or breakfast tea first thing, Kocsis advises making sure you stand or walk whilst doing so, as “gentle, slow movement buffers caffeine’s effects on cortisol and improves insulin sensitivity”, which ideally keeps those pesky jitters at bay.

Again, guilty. After getting two kids out of the door in the morning, and then kickstarting the day’s work and meetings, sometimes I’m not eating breakfast until about 10am.

Kocsis notes this can place the body under unnecessary stress: “When the body doesn’t receive energy in the morning, it instead raises cortisol levels to keep blood sugar balanced.

“This may feel like you’re functioning on adrenaline, you’re technically awake but not calm or stable. Over time, this pattern can cause anxiety, irritability, cravings and a sharp dip in energy mid-morning. You can start to feel shaky, stressed, short-tempered, extremely hungry and mentally foggy all before lunch.”

His advice? Use food to signal safety. Even a small amount of protein and fat first thing sends a strong signal to the brain that resources are there, he says. “This lowers the need for cortisol to increase and helps the adrenaline-fuelled ‘wired but tired’ feeling mid-morning to settle.”

If you love a roasting hot shower to wake you up first thing, it’s worth noting this might not be doing you many favours.

“Very hot water causes blood vessels to constrict rapidly, which can drop blood pressure and set off compensatory cortisol release to keep you upright and alert,” Kocsis says.

You might notice a hot shower leaves you feeling light-headed or drained, which can carry into the morning. “This can be particularly impactful for people who already experience low blood pressure, fatigue or hormone sensitivity,” he continues.

If you do love a bit of heat to start your morning (and who doesn’t during the winter months?), his advice is to finish your shower with 15-30 seconds of slightly cooler water.

“This stimulates alertness and stimulation without triggering the stress response linked with intense temperature changes, leaving you awakened rather than drained,” he notes.

If you wake up in total silence with zero conversation, music or background noise going on, you might actually be helping your brain stay in a half-asleep state.

“The auditory system helps trigger wakefulness to the brain,” says Kocsis. “With stimulation, dopamine and cortisol can rise more slowly, delaying mental wakefulness.”

Listening to music, a podcast or even regular household noise can help prompt healthier hormone signalling, he offers.

Briggs suggests staying in the dark after you’ve woken up confuses your body clock. “Natural light tells your brain it’s time to wake up, improves mood and helps regulate sleep patterns,” he explains.

“Open the blinds as soon as you can or, if it’s still pitch black outside, things like a sunrise alarm clock can help by gradually lighting the room without the shock of an overhead light.”

Kocsis adds: “A clear light helps cortisol peak early and decline effectively, reducing the 3pm slump and evening restlessness.”

Parenting a child with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) can be wonderful, although parents often share that it’s not without its challenges.

One particularly exhausting element can be the process of bedtime – that is, helping children wind down for the evening and, ultimately, go to sleep.

Research suggests up to 50-70% of children with ADHD have sleep problems, with delayed sleep onset and bedtime resistance particularly common issues.

“Children with ADHD often have busy minds and bodies, which can make bedtime a real challenge,” sleep consultant Rosey Davidson told HuffPost UK.

Part of this is biological. Some research suggests kids with ADHD release melatonin – the hormone that signals it is time to sleep – around 45 minutes later than neurotypical children. As they get older, this can stretch to nearer 90 minutes.

“This means their natural sleepiness signal comes later, which is one of the reasons they may struggle to fall asleep at the same time as other kids,” said Davidson.

But just because a child has ADHD, it doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do to help support them to sleep better.

As Emily Whalley, a holistic sleep and wellbeing coach at Fox and the Moon, told HuffPost UK: “We have to work with our children and their individual needs, not against them.

“And just because a child has ADHD, it doesn’t mean the way sleep works no longer applies to them. Biology doesn’t switch off because of neurodivergence.

“The fundamentals of sleep – i.e. circadian rhythm, sleep pressure and nervous system regulation – still matter. In fact, for many children with ADHD, they matter even more.”

So, sometimes going back to basics can really help.

A consistent bedtime routine is crucial for all – old and young, neurotypical and neurodiverse – as brains like the safety of knowing what is coming next.

“Consistent rituals such as a bath, a story, or calm music, signal it is time to wind down,” says Davidson, who is the founder and CEO of Just Chill Mama.

While the routine is important, it’s also crucial to recognise that you might be starting proceedings a bit too early – so take a step back and reassess the actual time your child goes to bed.

As Whalley asks: “Is the child’s body clock running later? Is bedtime actually mismatched to their natural sleep drive?”

She continues: “If a child simply isn’t tired enough at 8pm, no amount of consequences will fix that, we’re working against physiology.”

Getting outside in natural light is so important during the day, as it helps regulate the internal body clock (“it’s like putting in your order for sleepiness at night,” notes Davidson).

As evening arrives, dimming the lights helps to support melatonin production, making it easier to drift off.

“Many children with ADHD are sensory-seeking and need intentional proprioceptive input, what I often call ‘heavy work’, in the late afternoon or early evening,” says Whalley.

Some examples of this “heavy work” might include:

• Rough and tumble play,
• Pushing and pulling games,
• Carrying shopping,
• Animal walks,
• Resistance exercises
• Deep pressure input.

The sleep expert suggests all of these can help regulate the nervous system before we expect stillness. “Sleep doesn’t begin at lights out, it begins one to two hours earlier, with how we prepare the body and brain,” she notes.

Davidson agrees that providing opportunities for movement, deep pressure, or sensory activities earlier in the day can help kids feel regulated and calmer in the evening.

“Research also shows that children with ADHD who are more physically active tend to fall asleep more easily and sleep better overall, so getting out for exercise, or even movement within the home is helpful,” notes the sleep consultant.

“Yoga is excellent as it helps both the mind and body to wind down.”

Slow, quiet activities like colouring, jigsaws, or listening to an audiobook can all help your child’s mind transition from alert to calm in the hour or so before bed.

“Listening to music or audiobooks can also help the mind switch off racing thoughts,” notes Davidson.

If your child is a bit older, writing down their worries or ideas (journalling) before bed can help offload any thoughts that might keep them awake. If they’re a bit younger, drawing pictures and/or discussing their day could also help.

“Children (and adults) with ADHD often ruminate over their day, and struggle to switch off,” says Davidson.

“This is why techniques around managing thoughts and feelings can be helpful.”

The expert noted that for older children and adults, CBT-i (cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia), which is about changing a person’s thoughts and feelings around sleep, can also be effective.

You’ll probably notice your child comes downstairs multiple times before they eventually fall asleep, which might mean the slim period of downtime you get before your own bedtime is pretty disrupted.

Davidson says for kids who get up repeatedly; gentle, consistent responses work best.

“Consider social stories, roleplaying in the daytime (putting teddies to bed and saying goodnight), and making it [their bedroom] an appealing space,” she said.

“You can also foster ideas around connection – so that they know you will always come back. I like to put up a photo of parents on the wall next to the child’s bed so they have a visual reminder they are always connected.”

Another option to try is a “bedtime pass system”, where your child has one or two “get out of bed” passes each night.

“This gives them a sense of control while still keeping the overall structure and boundaries around sleep,” says the sleep consultant.

“If they do get out of bed, quietly returning them without negotiation is more effective than long explanations or arguments. We can still be loving and responsive but hold the boundary that this is where they sleep.”

Once they do finally settle, Whalley advises considering their sleep quality as children with ADHD are more likely to mouth breathe, snore or experience sleep-disordered breathing, “and fragmented sleep can significantly worsen attention, mood and behaviour during the day”.

“If a child is snoring most nights, breathing through their mouth, grinding their teeth or waking unrefreshed, it’s important this is medically reviewed,” she adds.

“Sometimes what looks like behavioural insomnia is actually poor-quality sleep.”

If your evening downtime is fairly non-existent, you might be left feeling pretty exhausted and like you have absolutely zero chill once you’ve taken your child back up to bed for the sixth time.

Whalley wants you to know you are not failing. Equally, it’s not your child’s fault they are struggling to drift off. “These children are not difficult, they are neurologically wired differently,” says the sleep coach.

But the right adjustments, as well as small biological and sensory tweaks can make “meaningful differences”, she adds. “Progress may not look identical to a neurotypical pathway, but it is absolutely possible.

“ADHD explains sleep challenges, it doesn’t mean they’re untreatable.”

Davidson urges parents to also role model their own healthy behaviours around sleep by talking about how they prioritise it and why, as well as showing their child how they relax and unwind (for example, switching off screens a set amount of time before bed or reading a book).

“Children learn so much by imitation,” she says. “Remember that helping your child sleep is a marathon, not a sprint, and being kind to yourself is just as important as helping them rest.”