How to feel rested

The solution to daytime fatigue doesn't rhyme with 'shmaffeine? In fact, the hard work happens when your eyes are closed.

- BROOKE LE POER TRENCH

The desire to feel energised is well documented as the driving force behind many of our healthiest choices. It's the carrot that dangles in front of us when we eat wholefood, exercise regularly and refuse that second glass of wine at dinner. We don't want to feel depleted. And yet we do. And underlying our best daytime efforts - and sometimes derailing them completely - is our sleep. According to a study by the Sleep Health Foundation in partnership with Melotin MR, almost two-thirds of Australians feel that poor quality sleep is affecting their motivation to enjoy life to the fullest. “It's our third pillar of health, and when we get the sleep we require, we're able to face the joys and challenges of the day," says Dr Carmel Harrington, author of The Complete Guide to a Good Night's Sleep. “However, when we're sleep deprived, we manage to meet the 'have tos' of the day, but when it comes to doing something enjoyable, you just feel too tired to bother.” For those who relate, here are five ways to get a better night's rest.

Stop hitting snooze

Sleep scientists have known for a long time what new parents learn quickly: routine matters. Our body's biology craves regular timing. Which means running on empty during the week, and then paying off the sleep debt with a lie-in, won't cut it. In fact, sleep researchers have found that this actually leads to a kind of jet-lagged feeling.