If you spend most of your time in this state it seems normal to you. A return to good sleep might initially feel like you're stuck on a lower gear.
I was there about a year ago. I'm still working on it, but things are improved. The last hours of sleep are heavy on REM sleep, and I tend to get a bit restless during this time. In the past I would just get up and start my day. However, REM sleep is important, and it's worth working towards improving here. Seems like you're a little concerned you're not heeding the scientific consensus. Check out Dr. Walker's book, so you can be more sure of your current state or more informed. The time spent reading the book might produce 10 years more lifespan.
I optimally sleep ~9 hours every day and start to feel tired if I sleep less for 3-4 consecutive days. I bike to work (and generally tend to go as hard as I can, so heart rate tends to spend a lot of time in Z4 or so). I almost never drink coffee so it takes me 2-3 hours to "fully awake" but I don't think that's unnatural so I don't mind it, I let nature run its course.