We’ve all experienced the lingering effects of a bad night’s sleep—feeling sluggish, irritable, and unable to focus, all while yearning for the comfort of our beds (or at least a heavily-sweetened coffee). Recent studies have demonstrated that poor sleep has significant metabolic and hormonal consequences, illustrating that too little shut-eye affects everything from appetite regulation to stress hormone production—and increases the risk of heart and kidney disease, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and depression.
So, how do you get your body and mind back on track after a crummy night of sleep without resorting to an energy drink IV? These expert tips can help you recover—and maybe even have a relatively productive day.
- ABOUT OUR EXPERTS: Dr. Chelsea Azarcon, N.M.D., is a naturopathic medicine doctor. Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D.N., is a registered dietitian and host of the Media Savvy Podcast. Jenna Volpe, R.D.N., is a registered dietitian and herbalist.
1. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
One of the simplest yet most effective ways to recover from poor sleep is to ensure you’re adequately hydrated. “Fatigue is one of the early signs of dehydration, so staying hydrated can help prevent excessive exhaustion,” explains naturopathic medicine doctor Dr. Chelsea Azarcon, N.M.D.
Aim to drink plenty of water throughout the day, ideally starting with a glass as soon as you wake up, Azarcon recommends. Keeping a water bottle handy can remind you to sip regularly, which can help maintain energy levels and cognitive function. If at any point you notice your urine is darker than a pale yellow, your mouth feels dry, or you’re smacked in the face by brain fog (beyond what you’d expect after skimping on shut-eye), step up your game and really get sipping.
2. Get Sunlight First Thing
Stepping outside to get some sunlight as soon as you wake up is another crucial step to reset your body after a poor night’s sleep. After all, sunlight plays a vital role in promoting wakefulness and programming your circadian rhythm (a.k.a. your “internal clock”), making it easier to stay alert throughout the day and to feel drowsy before bed.
To maximize this benefit, try to spend up to 30 minutes outside in the morning, whether that’s by taking a brisk walk or simply enjoying your morning coffee on the porch.
3. Resist The Urge To Faceplant Into Sugar
In the aftermath of a sleepless night, your body will likely crave quick energy sources that function as fast “pick-me-ups,” particularly foods and drinks high in sugar, caffeine, and refined carbs. “Studies show that even a single night’s sleep deprivation can increase our hunger signals and influence us toward choosing more carbohydrate-dense and processed foods,” explains Azarcon.
While it’s tempting to dive into foods like these when you’re tired, doing so can ultimately backfire. “You might think that grabbing something sweet will give you energy, but sugary foods do just the opposite,” explains registered dietitian Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D.N., host of the Media Savvy Podcast. “Instead of feeling energized all day, you’ll feel more like you’re on a roller coaster since simple carbs like sugar provide a quick boost of energy that doesn’t last long.”
So, as extra-tempting as drive-thru donuts may be when your feet are dragging, they won’t truly come to your rescue.
4. Up Your Protein Intake
What should you nosh on when you feel like you could doze off at any moment, then? Protein, protein, protein.
“Protein intake is essential for making neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) like serotonin and melatonin, which can often become dysregulated and depleted after a poor night’s sleep,” explains registered dietitian and herbalist Jenna Volpe, R.D.N. “Getting enough high-quality protein throughout the day—at least 20 to 30 grams per meal for most adults—can go a long way to helping you bounce back from fatigue.”
Not to mention, protein also helps stabilize blood sugar levels and regulates your appetite, reducing the likelihood of cravings for processed carbohydrates that often come after sleepless nights, Taub-Dix notes.
Read More: 7 Easy Ways To Pack 30 Grams Of Protein Into Your Next Meal
Kick off your day with a high-protein breakfast, such as eggs with avocado and veggies, and then eat protein every few hours to support blood sugar stability and balanced energy. Greek yogurt, cheese, nuts, or smoothies with protein powder can all provide the energy you need without the crash that often follows a sugary fix, says Taub-Dix. Keep a protein shake or protein bars handy if you need quick fuel (and to crush some sweets cravings).
Pro tip: Pairing your protein sources with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains will fuel you with essential nutrients that support energy and cognitive function, making it easier to resist the urge to wander to the vending machine.
5. Take Supportive Herbs
Need some extra support after skimping on sleep? Herbs to the rescue! If you’re struggling to focus throughout the day, check out adaptogens (which work against fatigue and stress while enhancing mental clarity) like ashwagandha, rhodiola, and ginseng, suggests Volpe.
Ashwagandha is a standout for its proven anti-fatigue effects. “Ashwagandha is a great herb for supporting recovery from a poor night’s sleep in multiple ways,” Volpe says. “It’s an adaptogen that helps modulate (bring into balance) our stress response from an adrenocortical standpoint, and acts dually as a nervine, which helps to reduce anxiety, support sleep, and relax our nervous system without having a sedative effect, meaning it can be taken throughout the day.”
As you approach bedtime, ensure you get your sleep back on track with nervine herbs, such as lavender or chamomile, that can help you relax and drift off. “One cup of loose chamomile or lavender tea steeped for 10 to 15 minutes (and sweetened with a little honey) is a lovely way to end the day,” Volpe says.
If you need something a little punchier, try sedative herbs, such as passionflower or valerian root. “Valerian contains compounds that increase the levels of a neurotransmitter called GABA in the brain, which has a calming effect on the nervous system,” Taub-Dix says. These herbs are often taken as liquid extracts or capsule supplements.
6. Engage in Light Exercise
Working out is probably the last thing you feel like doing when you’re low on energy. However, light to moderate exercise can boost energy levels and improve mood. “Light to moderate exercise has been shown to help reduce daytime sleepiness among people with insomnia and support better sleep quality,” says Volpe.
Activities like walking, yoga, jogging, or dancing can help stimulate blood flow and release feel-good endorphins, which can lift your mood and combat feelings of fatigue. Aim for around 30 minutes of light exercise during the day (bonus points if you do it outside to reap those extra sunlight benefits).
7. Limit Screen Time and Other Stimulants
Although your body may be telling you to reach for an extra cup of coffee or scroll through your phone to keep you awake, Azarcon warns against relying on stimulants: “Although it is tempting to use things like caffeine or blue light from screens to help you make it through the day, these can disrupt your upcoming sleep, contributing to cycles of dysfunctional sleep,” she explains.
Case in point: One 2023 study found that reducing exposure to blue light from smartphones resulted in significantly better sleep among the participants. “Even turning screens off at a certain time, such as by 8 p.m., or investing in blue light glasses (which help reduce and block direct exposure to blue light) can potentially make a big difference in sleep quality,” says Volpe.
Read More: Steal These Health Experts’ Nighttime Rituals For Better Sleep And Well-being
Instead of coffee, stick to green tea (which is much lower in caffeine than coffee) and do your best to limit screen time, especially as the day wears on, to ensure your efforts to shake off your current fatigue don’t set you up for another sleepless night, Azarcon says.
8. Avoid Changing Your Sleep Habits
After a restless night, it’s common to want to play catch up by sleeping in or napping during the day. However, changing your sleep habits might further disrupt your already disrupted routine, creating a vicious cycle of less-than-stellar sleep, Azarcon warns.
“Changing sleep habits through napping, sleeping in, or going to bed earlier can disrupt the buildup of a chemical called adenosine that helps create that ‘sleepy’ feeling in the body,” she explains. And though it’s not so fun to feel sleepy during the day, you definitely want that pull of tiredness come nighttime when it’s time to drift off. Instead, she suggests aiming to go to bed at your regular time and maintaining your usual sleep schedule to keep your internal sleep-wake cycle as regulated as possible.