Only had a few hours of sleep? Here's what to do today.

There are mornings when you wake up feeling less like a functioning adult and more like someone who has been gently hit over the head with a frying pan. Perhaps you stayed up too late, your children had other plans for the night, or you simply spent several hours staring at the ceiling.

Most adults need around seven to nine hours of sleep, according to the NHS, so if you have managed considerably less, you are unlikely to feel at your brilliant best. The good news is that you can make the day rather more bearable. Dr Dan Baumgardt, a GP and senior lecturer at the University of Bristol, recommends thinking in terms of small strategies rather than trying to power through fatigue by sheer determination. Start with daylight. Getting outside in the morning helps regulate your body clock, while even a short walk can increase circulation and make you feel more alert. If you are working, a few minutes outdoors may be considerably more useful than staring at your computer and hoping consciousness returns.

Your breakfast can also make a difference. Research published in Nature Communications found that a low sugar, high carbohydrate breakfast, such as porridge, Bircher muesli or wholemeal toast with some protein, was associated with better waking alertness. A breakfast loaded with sugar, meanwhile, was associated with poorer ability to shake off sleepiness. Nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert suggests waiting around an hour after waking before having your first coffee, and having it alongside a balanced breakfast rather than on an empty stomach.

Exercise is another surprisingly effective rescue tactic. A 2022 study involving sleep deprived students found that 30 minutes of moderate intensity cycling improved cognitive control the following day. You do not necessarily need to haul yourself into the gym, either. Researchers at the University of Georgia found that ten minutes of stair walking could produce a greater energising effect than 50mg of caffeine in sleep deprived adults. On a morning when your brain feels wrapped in cotton wool, that is a useful reminder that movement can sometimes do what another cup of coffee cannot.

Then there is the slightly odd but surprisingly useful coffee nap. Have an espresso and immediately take a 15 to 20 minute nap, allowing the caffeine to start working as you wake. Neuroscientist Brice Faraut, author of Saved by the Siesta, says the combination can reduce the grogginess that sometimes follows a nap and may improve alertness for several hours. If sleeping at your desk is unlikely to go down well with your employer, take regular micro breaks instead.  A quick walk, a cup of tea or a conversation with a colleague can be enough to interrupt the endless march from one spreadsheet to another. And when hunger strikes, resist the temptation to solve everything with biscuits. Professor Elizabeth Maylor of the University of Warwick found that people who consumed more sugary foods reported greater tiredness and lower alertness. Pumpkin seeds or kiwi fruit, offer a more useful snack without sending you towards the familiar sugar crash.

There is, however, one important distinction between surviving a bad night and pretending that you do not need sleep. These tricks are temporary measures, not a replacement for proper rest. You can brighten your morning, move your body, eat sensibly, take a short nap and deploy caffeine strategically, but eventually your brain will expect its missing hours back. The NHS advises that you should not drive when you feel sleepy, which is worth taking seriously when your concentration is poor.

If sleepless nights are becoming a regular feature rather than an occasional nuisance, the solution is not another clever productivity hack. It is worth looking at why you are not sleeping and seeking medical advice if the problem persists. For one rotten night, though, daylight, movement, sensible food and a carefully timed nap may help you get through the day without resembling a particularly exhausted extra from a zombie film.