What to do after a bad night's sleep: 5 mindful tips
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, CDCES, MBA
Explore the impact of a bad night of sleep on your mental and physical health. Plus, how to recover from a bad night's sleep with 10 mindful dos and don'ts.
When you’ve had a bad night's sleep, you may wake up grumpy — and that's just the beginning. Brain fog, increased irritability, and low energy can plague you all day long, making it impossible to navigate social encounters, work, and your other responsibilities.
Instead of longing for the sun to set so you can crawl back under the covers, there are strategies you can use to have a better day, even when you’re tired. Knowing what to do after a bad night's sleep can help you find practical, mindful strategies to reclaim your day. It might not be as hard to reduce the impact of sleep deprivation as you think!
How to recover from a bad night’s sleep: 5 tips
If you've had a bad night's sleep, it can be difficult to face life with your usual energy and alertness. So it’s time to look for strategies that can help you feel better—and function better—throughout the day.
1. Stay hydrated
Start your day with a glass of water and keep a water bottle handy. Water helps your body flush out toxins, and supports brain function and energy levels, whereas dehydration can make you feel more tired and less alert. Staying properly hydrated can help you tackle the day feeling your best.
2. Light exercise
It might be the last thing you feel like doing, but taking a brisk walk or a gentle stretch can boost your energy levels and mood. When you exercise, your heart rate and blood flow increase, and this can help wake up your body and mind. It can also release chemicals in your brain that can act as natural painkillers and mood elevators, helping you feel more like your usual self.
3. Get sunlight
Sunlight can help regulate your body’s internal clock, which tells you when to feel awake and when to feel sleepy. And a little sunshine can also help you feel more cheerful, too. Get some natural light as soon as possible in the morning, as the light at this time can increase alertness and help reset your sleep patterns. This can help make it easier to fall asleep the next night.
4. Take short naps
If you can, take a short nap. But remember to limit your snooze to about 20 minutes to avoid falling into deeper stages of sleep, which can leave you feeling groggy. A brief nap can help refresh your mind and improve your alertness without disrupting your nighttime sleep.
5. Practice mindfulness and meditation
Rising stress levels and lowered cognitive function can be challenges after a bad night’s sleep. Spend a few minutes doing guided breathing, practicing mindfulness, or sitting for a meditation to help calm your mind and improve your focus to get you ready for the day ahead.
5 things to avoid after a bad night's sleep
After a night of poor sleep, it's worth knowing how to prevent further disruption to your day — and your future sleep patterns.
Excessive caffeine: It might be tempting to use coffee or energy drinks to combat fatigue, but too much caffeine can lead to increased anxiety, jitteriness, and more sleep disruption later on. Instead, limit yourself to one or two cups of coffee in the morning. Avoid caffeinated drinks in the afternoon so they won't interfere with your rest later.
Heavy meals: Large or heavy meals can make you feel more sluggish and tired as your body uses its energy for digestion. Enjoy lighter, nutritious meals that are easier to digest, such as salads, soups, and smoothies. They can be delicious and satisfying, without burdening your digestive system.
Screen time before bed: Devices like smartphones, tablets, and computers emit blue light, which can interfere with melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep. To help ensure a better night's sleep, avoid screens for at least an hour before bed. Instead, read a book or relax with meditation, as these activities can help prepare your body and mind for sleep.
Strenuous physical activities: High-energy activities in the evening may be stimulating, making it harder for you to relax and wind down to sleep. Choose gentle exercises like yoga or a leisurely walk.
Napping too long: Although short naps can be rejuvenating, too much daytime sleep can disrupt your nighttime sleep cycle. If you do feel the need to nap, keep it under 20 minutes to help you gain the benefits of rest without entering deeper sleep stages.
Impacts of a bad night of sleep
Even a single night of inadequate sleep can affect the way your brain processes information and the way your body regulates mood. It can even wreak havoc on your memories.
Cognitive function: Lack of sleep can reduce your alertness, impair your judgment, and make problem-solving and decision-making difficult. You might find it hard to concentrate and process information as quickly as you usually would.
Mood: Poor sleep can increase stress levels, cause mood swings, or make you feel less patient than usual. This can affect your social abilities and wellbeing throughout the day.
Physical health: A bad night's sleep can leave you feeling physically weak and tired. It can reduce your coordination and reaction time, which can increase the risk of accidents and injuries — especially if you're driving or operating machinery. Your cardiovascular system is impacted too — it can raise your blood pressure and increase your heart rate.
Memory: After a night of poor sleep, you might notice that it’s tougher to recall information or learn new things. Disrupted sleep can influence our ability to process information and lead to brain fog.
Immune function: You might feel less healthy, and become more susceptible to illnesses, like common colds, following periods of sleep deprivation.
How to get better sleep in the future: 5 mindful tips
Adding new habits into your routine can improve your sleep quality and increase your chances of waking up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day. Using mindfulness to combat a bad night’s sleep can improve your wellbeing the next day, and can support your long-term health and quality of life.
1. Establish a soothing pre-sleep routine
Develop a consistent bedtime routine to help tell your body it's time to wind down for sleep. Try reading, taking a warm bath, doing light stretches, or practicing yoga. These activities can help reduce stress and promote relaxation, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.
💙Explore some gentle movement as a part of your Evening Wind Down routine tonight.
2. Create a comfortable sleep environment
Ensure your sleep environment is quiet, dark, and cool. Blackout curtains, eye masks, and earplugs can be useful, and make sure you have a comfortable mattress and pillows that support a positive sleeping posture.
💙 Turn on Calm Noise to block out distractions and soothe your mind to help you fall, and stay, asleep.
3. Practice ongoing mindfulness techniques
Mindfulness and meditation can improve your sleep quality by calming your mind and reducing stress. Use techniques such as guided imagery, deep breathing exercises, or progressive muscle relaxation before bedtime to help you disconnect from the day's stresses and ease into rest.
💙 Incorporate gratitude into your mindfulness practice and Unwind with Gratitude at the end of the day.
4. Address underlying issues
Stress, anxiety, diet, and physical health conditions like sleep apnea or acid reflux can all interfere with your sleep. Keep a sleep diary that tracks patterns in your sleep quality alongside your daily activities to identify patterns. Consult a healthcare provider if you suspect an underlying condition is affecting your sleep.
💙 Practice a Body Scan meditation to become more aware of what’s going on inside (and outside) of your body.
5. Stick to a sleep schedule
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This can help regulate your body's internal clock, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up naturally.
💙 Learn more about what it takes to get good sleep with the Easy Tips for Better Sleep series.
Bad night's sleep FAQs
Can one bad night of sleep affect your overall health?
A single night of poor sleep can temporarily impact your health, bringing issues like reduced cognitive function, mood changes, and decreased immune response. However, these effects can generally be resolved with a return to regular, quality sleep.
Chronic sleep deprivation—where poor sleep occurs regularly over an extended period—can contribute to long-term health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and mental health disorders.
How can mindfulness help after a bad night's sleep?
Mindfulness can be particularly effective after a bad night's sleep as it can help calm your mind and reduce the stress and anxiety that often accompany sleeplessness. Try focused breathing, mindful meditation, or a mindfulness exercise to enhance your mental clarity by bringing your attention to the present. This can help reduce the scattered thoughts brought by fatigue and make it easier to manage your tasks more positively throughout your day.
What are the best foods to eat after a poor night's sleep?
After a night of poor sleep, choose foods that provide sustained energy and are easy to digest to help manage energy levels and improve alertness.
Complex carbohydrates, like whole grains or oats, may provide a steady release of energy.
Proteins such as eggs or Greek yogurt may help you feel full and satisfied.
Fruits can provide natural sugars and fiber, which may help maintain energy levels without the crash that comes from refined sugars.
Does a bad night of sleep affect blood pressure?
A single night of poor sleep may lead to higher blood pressure throughout the following day. This is because sleep helps regulate stress hormones and helps your nervous system remain healthy. Over time, chronic sleep deprivation can lead to prolonged periods of elevated blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Does a bad night of sleep increase anxiety?
A lack of sleep may increase feelings of anxiety. Sleep deprivation can affect your brain's ability to regulate emotions, including an increase in overall anxiety levels. Poor sleep has also been linked to an increased risk of developing anxiety disorders.
Calm your mind. Change your life.
Mental health is hard. Getting support doesn't have to be. The Calm app puts the tools to feel better in your back pocket, with personalized content to manage stress and anxiety, get better sleep, and feel more present in your life.
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