How to cope after a bad night’s slumber

Surviving Substandard Sleep (by Samantha Rideout)

After hours of tossing and turning, surviving the day ahead feels like a tall order. Your first instinct might be to reach for a vat of coffee. This may pick you up temporarily, but remember that caffeine could negatively affect your sleep quality up to 16 hours later. Feel free to grab a cup, but be reasonable in your consumption so as not to set yourself up for a second rough night.

“The best thing you can do is just hit the ground running,” says Neil Stanley, a member of the European Sleep Research Society. “You’re going to feel some sleep inertia [otherwise known as grogginess and disorientation] for a while, but don’t let that frame your day. Open the blinds and get some daylight so your body knows it’s time to be awake, or step out for some fresh air.”

If you’re struggling when the afternoon rolls around, a short snooze could help you over the hump. The ideal nap is 20 minutes—longer ones put you at risk of entering, and then interrupting, deep-stage sleep, causing you to feel even fuzzier than before.

Don’t be too concerned about whether or not you actually doze off: in a study from the sleep research center of Loughborough University in Britain, fatigued people who had consumed 200 milligrams of coffee (equivalent to two cups) and then rested without sleeping for 15 minutes still reaped benefits.

Sleeping poorly for one month or longer is considered chronic insomnia and may require cognitive behavioral therapy or other treatments.

Physical activity— even just taking a brisk walk—could also give you an energy boost. If you’re engaging in more active exercise, however, do it at least three hours prior to bedtime so your body has a chance to cool down before your next attempt at getting some shut-eye.

Before bed, unwind with a relaxing activity such as reading, meditation or listening to quiet music. If you’re feeling worried, try putting those concerns aside by writing them down and telling yourself they can always wait until tomorrow. Above all, don’t stress about the previous night, which won’t cause any long-term problems— unless you let it propel you into a vicious cycle of sleeplessness caused by anxiety over sleeplessness. Instead, lie down, close your eyes and allow your mind to wander. A night or two of superior slumber will have you back to normal in no time.