The secret to feeling less bad after a bad night’s sleep

After wondering about it all night, the next day you feel like work has put on the brakes. A recent study offers, however, an interesting consolation.

We all know how difficult the next day is when you don’t get a good night’s rest. The authors of a study published in the scientific journal Human Relations tried to find out why we feel so bad if we don’t get quality sleep and discovered something useful for the next good night, writes Mind Body Green.

What the researchers discovered

For this study, a team of psychologists conducted two studies on 214 employees. Over the course of 1,317 days, they asked subjects to monitor their sleep quality, mood and work engagement. Taking into account previous theories on the role of willpower (defined in this case as the ability to control impulses, emotions and desires) on job performance, psychologists also took note of volunteers’ opinions on willpower.

Not surprisingly, researchers have found that poor sleep negatively affects workers’ emotions and demotivates them, seriously undermining their ability to concentrate on work tasks.

However, those who believed they had a strong, even unlimited, will did better the next day. Compared to employees who said they had limited resources for grit, those who were more confident that they could better resist distractions and stay focused were less affected by poor sleep quality.

“Believing that one’s will is unlimited helps maintain efficiency at work, especially on sleep-deprived days,” Wladislaw Rivkin, head of the research team, said in a statement.

What I do during the day to enjoy a restful sleep at night and wake up full of energy

In addition to the fact that they are more efficient at work, those who are confident in their own strength have a better mood and greater vitality than others after a bad sleep, the study also shows.

Changing mentality, the ultimate solution

Of course, positive thinking alone can’t solve all the pain points of the next day when you don’t sleep well. In addition to cognitive challenges, previous research has shown that inadequate sleep affects immune system function, heart health and blood sugar levels, among other things.

The best thing you can do after a sleepless night is to set your priorities and go to bed early, follow your nightly routine and possibly use a supplement to help you sleep better.

However, if your sleep is disturbed for a specific reason, the study cited suggests that a change in mindset can help you cope better after a restless night’s sleep. Instead of struggling alone and thinking that the beautiful day of Saturday has gone by the wayside, remind yourself that you have unlimited strength to stay focused and satisfied. You can still do what you set out to do, even when all your mind wants to do is go back to bed.

conlusion

A poor night’s sleep often makes the following day feel heavier, slower, and more difficult to manage. Tasks that usually feel routine suddenly require extra effort, concentration drops, and motivation seems to disappear. This familiar experience highlights just how deeply sleep influences not only our physical energy, but also our emotional state and performance at work. When rest is insufficient, the body and mind struggle to operate at their normal capacity, creating a sense that everything has “put on the brakes.”

The study mentioned offers an important and reassuring insight: feeling worse after a bad night’s sleep is not a personal failure, but a natural response of the body and brain. Researchers found that lack of quality sleep affects how we regulate emotions, handle stress, and perceive challenges. This explains why small problems may feel overwhelming and why patience and focus are harder to maintain. Understanding this connection helps reduce self-criticism and encourages a more compassionate approach toward ourselves on low-energy days.

More importantly, the study provides a valuable takeaway for improving future sleep. By recognizing how strongly sleep impacts daily functioning, individuals are more likely to prioritize healthy sleep habits. Simple changes—such as setting consistent bedtimes, disconnecting from screens before bed, and allowing time to unwind—can significantly improve sleep quality over time. Even being mindful of how sleep affects work performance can motivate healthier routines.

Ultimately, bad nights happen to everyone, but they do not have to define our long-term well-being. Research like this reminds us that sleep is not optional—it is a foundation for emotional balance, productivity, and resilience. By learning from these difficult days and using them as motivation to improve rest, it becomes possible to break the cycle of exhaustion. With better sleep comes clearer thinking, improved mood, and a greater sense of control, making both nights and days more manageable and fulfilling.